Reading comprehension: The civilian lives lost to Russia's war.

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Hoy vamos a  leer  un texto que nos va a dar otra oportunidad para reflexionar sobre la tiranía y sus terribles consecuencias: la pérdida de vidas humanas

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60547807

Ukraine war: The civilian lives lost to Russia's war

The number of civilians killed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine is rising by the day. By Sunday, Ukraine's human rights commissioner put the number of civilian victims alone at 210, including several children.

A seven-year-old girl died in an attack on a kindergarten, there have been fatalities in the capital Kyiv, and 10 members of Ukraine's ethnic Greek community were killed when their villages came under fire in the south.

Alisa Hlans was one of six people who died when her kindergarten was hit on the second day of the Russian invasion on Friday in the small town of Okhtyrka, an hour's drive from Ukraine's north-east border. 

Alisa was three months away from her eighth birthday. She was fatally wounded and Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova said she died in hospital on Saturday.

Doctors were fighting to save the life of a second wounded child, she added in a message on social media, above a picture with the message "we need peace!"

Several other children have been killed in the Russian advance, including a girl called Polina, who was in the final year of primary school in Kyiv.

According to Kyiv's local authority she and her parents were shot dead by a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group on a street in the north-west of the capital.

Polina's brother and sister were taken to hospital. Her sister was in intensive care and her brother was taken to a separate children's hospital.

The majority of civilians have not yet been named but their stories are equally distressing.

A boy was killed when a block of flats was shelled in north-eastern Ukraine on the second day of Russia's invasion. The blast started fires in several flats in Chuhuiv, a small town outside Ukraine's second city Kharkiv.

Rest In Peace.

This video from the BBC World Service shows how a missile destroys a government building, flattened, annihilated.

Manuel Molina.

Reading comprehension: Russia kills hundreds in Ukrania

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Hoy vamos a trabajar varios textos muy breves y bastante más sencillos. 

El primer texto de hoy nos retrotrae al año 1939, cuando la Alemania de Hitler invadió Polonia y hoy, el dictador ruso Putin invade a gran escala Ucrania. Al igual que el 1 de septiembre de 1939, la gran pregunta es: ¿cómo acabará esto?

https://theobjective.com/internacional/2022-02-24/directo-guerra-ucrania-rusia/

Russia Launches Heavy Attack Deep into Ukraine; Putin Warns World Not to Interfere 

Biden: “The world will hold Russia accountable.”

Russian forces began a large-scale invasion of Ukraine early on Thursday morning local time as Vladimir Putin announced in a pre-taped speech the start of a “special military operation,” instructed Ukrainians to lay down their arms, and warned other countries not to interfere. 

“Russia will respond immediately and you will have consequences that you never have had before in your history,” Putin said, as the United Nations Security Council convened an emergency meeting in which leader after leader condemned the unprovoked attack. 

Loud explosions were heard in the background as journalists reported live from Kyiv. CNN, citing an “advisor to the Ukrainian interior ministry,” reported that the explosions were from Russian missile strikes. Reports poured in of Russian attacks elsewhere by land and sea, as well, including from Reutersand U.S. officials. Videos quickly began circulating on social media that purport to show explosions in Kharkiv.

“Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine," Ukraine foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted at 10:58 p.m. Eastern time. "Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes. This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now.”

Ukraine’s interior ministry says casualties from initial missile strikes are “in the hundreds,” CNN’s Matthew Chance reported around 11:30 p.m. Eastern time. 

About quarter to midnight Eastern time, Ukraine’s foreign ministry said in a statement: “Russian troops are carrying out strikes on peaceful Ukrainian cities from various directions, including from the side of the temporarily occupied Donbass and Crimea, as well as the northeastern region. This is an act of war, an attack on sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, a gross violation of the UN Statute and the fundamental norms and principles of international law.

President Joe Biden said in a statement, “The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces. President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering. Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.””

https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2022/02/russia-launches-heavy-attack-deep-ukraine-deep-ukraine-putin-warns-world-not-interfere/362368/

Saludos.

Reading comprehension (32) A little bit of History today, 23rd of February, 1981

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Hoy vamos a trabajar varios textos muy breves y bastante más sencillos. 

El 4º texto de hoy nos retrotrae al año 1981, cuando al salir del colegio, una tarde tranquila, de repente nos mandaron correr hacia las casas...

https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20210223/6258374/23-f-golpe-estado-congreso-cronologia-reconstruccion-40-aniversario-en-directo.html

23-F: Coup d'Etat in Spain

Background

From 1939, the end of the Spanish Civil War, Spain lived under Franco's military dictatorship until his death in November 1975. Before he died he designated Prince Juan Carlos as his successor and, to the surprise of many, after becoming king, Juan Carlos I dismantled Franco's regime and began the transition to democracy, a period known in Spain as La Transición. Some say that La Transición ended with the first general election in 1977, others when the constitution was approved in 1978, and yet others argue that it definitively ended 23 February 1981, the date of the failed coup d'État led by Lieutenant-Colonel Tejero. 23 February 1981 was a dramatic and tense moment in modern Spanish history and is popularly known in Spain as 23-F. On the same day as the coup, a vote was in progress to confirm Calvo Sotelo as Prime Minister. The vote was being recorded for television, and this is the footage we see in the beginning of the video below.

Shortly after the assault on Parliament another military leader, Jaime Milans del Bosch, led men and tanks into the streets of Valencia. King Juan Carlos I is widely considered to have been responsible for the failure of these actions. Wearing his military uniform of Captain-General of the Armed Forces, he went on television early in the morning of 24 February and declared his support for the democratically-elected government. With this, the insurgents, who had counted on the support of the king, knew that their action had failed. Some of the consequences of this failed coup were to give the young constitutional monarchy renewed legitimacy and in particular increased support for the King. This included not just public support, but support from political parties across the spectrum including the Communist party. https://spanish.kwiziq.com/learn/reading/23-f-coup-d-etat-in-spain

📝 Glosario de 20 Palabras Clave

No.	English Word/Phrase (Inglés)	Spanish Translation (Español)
1	Coup d'État	Golpe de Estado
2	Background	Antecedentes / Contexto
3	Military dictatorship	Dictadura militar
4	Designated	Designó / Nombró
5	Successor	Sucesor
6	Dismantled	Desmanteló
7	Transition to democracy	Transición a la democracia
8	General election	Elecciones generales
9	Constitution	Constitución
10	Definitively	Definitivamente
11	Failed	Fallido / Fracasado
12	Lieutenant-Colonel	Teniente coronel
13	Dramatic and tense	Dramático y tenso
14	In progress	En curso / En desarrollo
15	Confirm	Confirmar / Ratificar
16	Footage	Grabación / Metraje
17	Assault on Parliament	Asalto al Parlamento
18	Insurgents	Insurgentes
19	Constitutional monarchy	Monarquía constitucional
20	Across the spectrum	De todo el espectro (político

Me acuerdo que las calle se vaciaron y no nos dejaron jugar a la pelota en la plaza de la Catedral. 

Saludos.

Reading comprehension: WAR. 23 de febrero de 2022

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Hoy vamos a trabajar varios textos muy breves y bastante más sencillos. Ahora toca leer un poco sobre qué está pasando con la canalla, miserable y genocida invasión rusa de Ucrania. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56720589

Why is Russia ordering troops into Ukraine and what does Putin want?

By Paul Kirby
BBC News

For months Russia's Vladimir Putin denied planning to attack Ukraine, but he has now torn up a peace deal and ordered troops into two rebel-held eastern regions, in his words to "maintain peace".

Russia has deployed at least 150,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in recent months, and there are fears that its latest move marks the first step in a new invasion. What happens next could jeopardise Europe's entire security structure.

Where are Russian troops being sent and why?

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, rebels backed by President Putin seized big swathes of the east and they have fought Ukraine's army ever since. There was an international Minsk peace accord but the conflict continues and so Russia's leader says he is sending in so-called peacekeepers into two rebel-held areas.

The West sees that as nonsense and believes Moscow is planning an imminent, new invasion of Ukraine, a country of 44 million people bordering both Russia and the European Union. For a start, there are reports of tanks arriving in separatist-controlled Donetsk and the latest satellite photos show Russian troops deployed within 9 to 19 miles (15-30km) of Ukraine's borders.

What's Putin's problem with Ukraine?

Russia has long resisted Ukraine's move towards European institutions, both Nato and the EU. Now, Mr Putin has claimed Ukraine is a puppet of the West and was never a proper state anyway.

How far will Russia go?

President Putin may stop at tearing up the peace accords in the east. He has in the past only spoken of "military-technical" measures if he does not get what he wants and Moscow previously insisted "there is no Russian invasion".

But the chances of a diplomatic solution do not look good and the West fears he will go further. US President Joe Biden has warned: "We believe they will target Ukraine's capital Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million innocent people." 

In theory, Russian forces could aim to sweep across Ukraine from the east, north and south and try to remove its democratically elected government. They could mobilise troops in Crimea, Belarus and around Ukraine's eastern borders.

¡Que Dios nos pille confesados, como decían las abuelas!

Saludos.

Reading comprehension: SCIENCE AND DREAMS.

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Hoy vamos a trabajar varios textos muy breves y bastante más sencillos. De nuevo, son materiales que están incluidos en el programa de vuestro curso de la página CREA de la Junta de Andalucía. El segundo de hoy versa sobre el sueño y la ciencia, ¡no os durmáis!

mmolpor@

SCIENCE AND DREAMS

Japanese scientists say they have found a way to "read" people's dreams. Researchers at the ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for what they say is, "the world's first decoding" of night-time visions. Their research is published in the journal "Science". The researchers wrote: "Visual imagery during sleep has been a topic of persistent speculation, but its private nature has been a disadvantage for objective analysis. Here, we present a neural decoding approach in which machine models predict the contents of visual imagery during sleep." They could predict what images their volunteers had seen with a 60 per cent accuracy rate.

The research is a part of a wider programme aimed at studying the brain. It hopes to unlock the secrets of the unconscious mind to help the disabled move artificial limbs using brain activity. It could also help those with dementia and other neurological conditions. A spokesperson said: "Our expectations from the dream study are quite high, but we are also looking carefully at the ethical aspects of the technology, which may allow a third person to look at somebody else's thoughts." Head researcher Yukiyasu Kamitani said, "dreams have fascinated people since ancient times, but their function and meaning has remained closed". He believes his research is "a key step towards reading dreams more precisely".

 Texto tomado y adaptado de www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1304/130408-dreams.html#ixzz2WjytN3oc

Saludos. 

Reading comprehension: Hamburgers.

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Hoy vamos a trabajar varios textos muy breves y bastante más sencillos. De nuevo, son materiales que están incluidos en el programa de vuestro curso de la página CREA de la Junta de Andalucía. El primero de hoy vuelve al tema de la comida basura que tantos estragos está causando en nuestras sociedades 'modernas'.'

mmolpor@

NO STOPPING AFTER EATING 25.000 BIG MACS

-nine years after his first Big Mac, Don Gorske has entered the record books by finishing his 25,000th Big Mac. He passed the milestone at a McDonald'srestaurant in his hometown in Wisconsin. "I plan on eating Big Macs until I die," said the 57-year-old. "I have no intention of changing. It's still my favourite food. Nothing has changed in 39 years. I look forward to it every day."

 

Gorske's obsession with the burger started on 17^th May 1972 when he bought three Big Macs to celebrate the purchase of a new car. He says he enjoyed them so much that he went back to McDonald's twice the same day, and ate nine burgers. He has only gone eight days without a Big Mac since his first bite. Despite his diet Gorske`s doctor has described him as a healthy man and he takes regular exercise. However, he admitted an obsessive compulsive personality, saying that he liked to collect the packaging and enjoyed counting his Big Macs because of a love of numbers.  

 

McDonald's says there are 540 calories in a Big Mac, which is more than a quarter of the calories a person on an average diet would consume. The burger also contains 29 g. of fat and 1,040 mg of sodium, which are both more than 40% of the daily recommended amount. Medical experts do not recommend the Gorske diet. Tara Gidus, a dietitian, said Gorske probably has good genetics, as well as the fact that he didn't order fries and soft drinks with his burger. She said she is "less concerned about the bad stuff in the Big Mac and more concerned about the good stuff he's missing", such as fruit and vegetables. Before tucking into his 25,000^th burger Gorske said: "I really do enjoy every Big Mac."

 Saludos.

Reading comprehension: Leading a healthy life

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Hoy vamos a trabajar varios textos muy breves y bastante más sencillos. De nuevo, son materiales que están incluidos en el programa de vuestro curso de la página CREA de la Junta de Andalucía. El cuarto y último de hoy versa sobre la comida basura que tantos estragos está causando en nuestras sociedades 'modernas'.'

@mmolpor

Leading a healthy life: Fast Food

When people all over the world are looking for a quick, easy meal to grab on the go, fast food is the common solution. In fact, over 25 percent of Americans consume fast food every day. 

Fast food does not have to be unhealthy, but most of the time it is; consumers often order foods with more fat, calories, sugar and sodium, and less nutrition and vitamins than is necessary. Keep reading to find out some more about what makes fast food so common in America and how to pick healthier options.     

There are close to 50,000 fast food chains across the United States, with McDonalds being the largest restaurant chain. In the world, there are more than 500,000 fast food places. Kids between the ages of 6 and 14 eat fast food 157,000,000 times every month. Ninety-six percent of kids in school could recognize an image of Ronald McDonald, the face of McDonalds. The only recognizable figure that ranked higher was Santa Claus. 

Most people don't consider fast food as their healthiest option. While there are some ways to eat a well-balanced, nutritious meal at a fast food restaurant, the unhealthy options are more common and more appealing. Often, someone can consume all of the calories they need for the entire day in one sitting at a fast food restaurant. 

The most common vegetable served at fast food places is the potato in the form of French fries. There is no problem with eating fast food occasionally, but if you are eating it more than once a week, consider ordering some healthier options that are more nutritional. 

Many foods are considered unhealthy if you eat too much of them—even healthy foods. Keep this in mind when ordering fast food.

Saludos.

Reading comprehension: Shopaholism.

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

 Hoy vamos a trabajar varios textos muy breves y bastante más sencillos. De nuevo, son materiales que están incluidos en el programa de vuestro curso de la página CREA de la Junta de Andalucía. El tercero trata sobre el problema del consumismo desenfrenado y la adicción a las compras.

CÓDIGOS DE COLORES:

AZUL: Traducciones.

ROJO: Aspectos gramaticales.

VERDE: Aspectos culturales.

NARANJA: Estructuras concatenadas

MORADO: Traducción y sinónimos, antónimos, etc.

Amarillo: Palabras con trampa.

Os dejo una plantilla para que, sobre la marcha, podáis ir completando con sinónimos, antónimos, etc y los significados. Espero que os sea de utilidad. Pinchad aquí para descargarla. 

Shopaholism

Shopaholism, also commonly referred to as compulsive shopping or shopping addiction is basically characterized by an uncontrollable desire to make purchases when there is really no need for the same. Oniomania is the technical term used to describe shopaholism. While some health experts believe that compulsive shopping is an impulse control disorder, others claim that it is an indication of obsessive compulsive disorder or bipolar disorder. Of late, it has also been accepted as a type of addiction, because like in the case of any other addiction, the individual lacks control over his impulses.

Plastic money or the credit card is the main cause for worsening this mental condition. Shopaholics run their credits up to the maximum limit without thinking whether they will be able to pay off for such huge expenses. Initially, they feel happy; but later, just like any other addictive behavior such as alcoholism, tobacco smoking, drug abuse, gambling, or binge eating, they begin to experience a sense of guilt as they feel that they have just done something wrong. Many people, especially women and teenagers, shop for pleasure when they are in low spirits.

This addiction ultimately leads to financial losses, which not only affect the person concerned but also his or her near and dear ones. The strained relationships caused by this mental disorder can even break homes. The exact cause of such addictive behavior is not known; but according to some psychiatrists, such actions can be triggered by a need to feel special. Shopaholics try to fill in a void in their lives with objects. The act of shopping gives the compulsive shopper a high due to the release of certain ‘feel good’ hormones.

There is no customary or foolproof treatment option that can help to get rid of this problem immediately. The individual should first of all accept that he has a problem and should therefore take the help of his family and friends, without feeling ashamed. If the condition gets worse, Medical help must be sought. Undergoing professional counseling or joining a self-help group is often useful in trying to deal with this problem. The condition usually does not require any medication unless it is too severe or there are other associated distressing symptoms.

Texto adaptado de www.healthizen.com

Saludos.

Reading comprehension: THE MODIGLIANI SCANDAL.

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Hoy vamos a trabajar varios textos muy breves y bastante más sencillos. De nuevo, son materiales que están incluidos en el programa de vuestro curso de la página CREA de la Junta de Andalucía. El segundo trata sobre el gran pintor Modigliani y un acontecimiento escabroso en el que se vio involucrado. Además, así estudiamos un poco de arte.

https://ar.pinterest.com/euforiondisnea/modigliani/

THE MODIGLIANI SCANDAL

When he died in 1920, like many artists, the Italian painter and sculptor Amadeo Modigliani (1884-1920 ) was far less well-known than now. A modernist artist, he became known for paintings and sculptures in a style characterized by mask-like faces and elongation of form. Curiously, since his painting was so consistent and is regularly auctioned at multi-million dollar prices, he has become one of the world's most faked artists. Just last week, Giovanni Verdi, the president of the Modigliani Institute, dedicated to defending his legacy, was arrested on suspicion of falsely attributing a series of artworks to the late artist.

The arrest is related to an investigation which goes back to 2011, when 15 fake Modigliani works were removed from an exhibition that Parisot organised at the Art Museum of Palermo. It is believed that the art expert provided false certificates of authenticity to counterfeit Modigliani works worth over €12 million in order to sell them on to collectors. While Verdi was compiling a monograph of the artist's oeuvre, both paintings and sculptures, he was also filling his pockets making money from supposed masterpieces, so he was sacked by the Modigliani Institute's governing body, as soon as the news broke.  

He is expected to face trial later this year, once the Italian police finish their investigation. 

Article adapted from information in Wikipedia

Saludos.

Reading comprehension: Synchronized swimming

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Hoy vamos a trabajar varios textos muy breves y bastante más sencillos. De nuevo, son materiales que están incluidos en el programa de vuestro curso de la página CREA de la Junta de Andalucía. El primero se centra en los avances que las mujeres van haciendo en el mundo del deporte, en su reconocimiento social y deportivo.

https://www.europapress.es/la-rioja/noticia-seleccion-espanola-natacion-sincronizada-recibira-mencion-honor-deporte-gala-26-febrero-20140220121701.html

Synchronized swimming

Synchronized swimming (often abbreviated to Synchro) is a hybrid form of swimming, dance and gymnastics, consisting of swimmers (either solos, duets, trios, combos, or teams) performing a synchronized routine of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music. Synchronized swimming demands advanced water skills, and requires great strength, endurance, flexibility, grace, artistry and precise timing, as well as exceptional breath control when upside down underwater.

Olympic and World Championship competition is not open to men, but other international and national competitions allow male competitors. Both USA Synchro and Synchro Canada allow men to compete with women. Most European countries allow men to compete also, France even allows male only podiums, according to the number of participants. In the past decade more men are becoming involved in the sport and a global biannual competition called Men's Cup has been steadily growing.
Competitors show off their strength, flexibility, and aerobic endurance required to perform difficult routines. Swimmers perform two routines for the judges, one technical and one free, as well as age group routines and figures.
Synchronized swimming is governed internationally by FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation).

At the turn of the 20th century, synchronized swimming was known as water ballet. The first recorded competition was in 1891 in Berlin, Germany. Many swim clubs were formed around that time, and the sport simultaneously developed within several countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the USA. 

Saludos.

Reading comprehension: Rafael Nadal Wins the Australian Open, His 21st Grand Slam Title

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Vamos a ahora a celebrar la victoria de una gran campeón, sinónimo de tenacidad, de bondad y un gran español que lleva la bandera de España allá por donde vaya. Nadal, gran orgullo del deporte español.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/30/sports/tennis/nadal-medvedev-australian-open.html

CÓDIGOS DE COLORES:

AZUL: Traducciones.

ROJO: Aspectos gramaticales.

VERDE: Aspectos culturales.

NARANJA: Estructuras concatenadas

MORADO: Traducción y sinónimos, antónimos, etc.

Amarillo: Palabras con trampa.

Os dejo una plantilla para que, sobre la marcha, podáis ir completando con sinónimos, antónimos, etc y los significados. Espero que os sea de utilidad. Pinchad aquí para descargarla.

Rafael Nadal Wins the Australian Open, His 21st Grand Slam Title

Novak Djokovic overshadowed the first Grand Slam of the year before it began, but Nadal pulled off an epic comeback over Daniil Medvedev that broke his tie with Djokovic and Roger Federer in men’s singles major career victories.

MELBOURNE, Australia — The Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal shook his head, as if in disbelief. Then he moved to the net to shake the hand of his opponent, Daniil Medvedev, and it was then that it seemed to sink in. Nadal stood alone in the record book with 21 career Grand Slam men’s singles titles, one more than his rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Suddenly, Nadal punched the air like a prizefighter, flexing his arms like a bodybuilder, pumping his fists overhead, then dropping to his knees as tears flowed.

Nadal’s five-hour-and-24-minute triumph, after being down by two sets, thrilled a raucous crowd on a warm Sunday night at Rod Laver Arena. It came just a day after Ashleigh Barty of Australia won the women’s singles title, the first home court win at the Australian Open in 44 years.

But if the final weekend of the first major sporting event of the year ended in singular fashion, the beginning was anything but.

Two weeks ago, just hours before the first matches, Australian authorities deported Djokovic, a perennial favorite in the tournament and Nadal’s longtime rival, for entering the country without being vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Nadal’s victory, and with it the claim of being the sport’s most decorated Grand Slam men’s singles champion, was a cruel twist for Djokovic, a nine-time champion of the event who received an exemption from the Australian tennis federation to play unvaccinated but was then told to leave the country after his visa was canceled and an appeal was rejected.

Nadal, 35, returned from a chronic foot injury that had him considering retirement late last year and then came back on Sunday in a match he trailed by two sets to win, 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

He fought. He thought. He fought and thought some more against an opponent who was 10 years younger and had pushed Nadal to the five-set limit in their first major final at the 2019 U.S. Open before losing to Nadal in four hours and 49 minutes.

Sunday’s final turned out to be considerably longer, but Nadal delivered a reminder of the classic matches he had played in Rod Laver Arena and beyond.

After it ended, at 1:11 a.m. on Monday in Melbourne, Djokovic and Federer, who is now tied for second with 20 major singles titles, congratulated Nadal in social media messages.

“A few months ago we were joking about both being on crutches,” Federer wrote on Instagram. He added: “I’m proud to share this era with you.”

“Amazing achievement,” wrote Djokovic, who praised Nadal’s “always impressive fighting spirit that prevailed another time.”

Saludos.