Writing Exam 2nd Partial

Does a person´s happiness depend on other people
or on oneself?

       I think it´s true that you are responsible of your own happiness. You have to be wise and strong enough to be able to react properly besides whatever anyone do, or say. It´s about you, yourself. It´s your life, your heart, your feelings. 

       Life gives us so many chances everyday to prove ourselves that we are ENOUGH to be happy. We have to focus on the things that we have (not in what we don´t), the things that we know, and what we can do in life, for ourselves, for others, for our world. 

       Obviously, we are social beings, and we need others to improve ourselves. To achieve goals, to learn, to find purposes and join someone´s too. Moreover, They, other people, help us to improve our happiness, as well as they motivate us to be better persons, to see and listen different points of view and expand our landscape. To enrich our lives. To improve ourselves.

       Also, they can affect sometimes in our behavior, in a bad way, with hurting words or actions; but it´s only our responsibility the way that we react to that kind of negative actions. We have the choice every time. A choice to let that things affect us negatively, to let that words stay in our hearts, to look for revenge; or, trying to understand (even when it´s the hardest thing in life) and try to be positive. Being a light in the darkness and looking for spread good vibes, happiness and love instead of hate.

       Yes, Happiness depends on EVERYONE. But we can inspire. Let´s choose to inspire only good things. CHOOSE HAPPINESS! 

NEW SONG - Quiz

DREAM JOB... here I go!

Unit 4, Lesson A, Exercise 3 (Page 43 of VIEWPOINT BOOK)

Draw up a five-point plan with the best advice for landing your dream job.

• Remember That Any Progress Is Good Progress. Don't be so hard with yourself.
• Your worst enemy is inertia. Don't stay in unsatisfying jobs just because you feel safe, or because you're afraid of making a bad decision. KEEP MOVING, FOLLOW YOUR DREAM.
• Look for a meaningful work. Something that moves you a bit closer to your big-picture goal.
• Have realistic expectations but be persistent in what you want.
• Anything worth having in this world requires some effort. Keep that on mind always. Nothing comes easy or for free. You have to BE PREPARED ALWAYS.
• Build Relationships With People Who Have Your Dream Job. Watch, Listen, and Learn. Also, having contacts to recommend you and your work sometimes is vital.

Unit 9: Success and Happiness (Viewpoint Student´s Book)

Lesson D " Politics of happiness"

• Page 101, 3-Listening and Speaking "Happiness and the community"

Exercise C

-My own three policies that would make my community a happier place

1. More re creative spaces, green areas, and the possibility to go with pets and hang around with the neighbors.
2. Ecologic programs for the community.
3. A day to HELP OTHERS, like a social program, where you can donate and do something for the homeless.

• Page 102, WRITING Policies for happiness

Exercise A

-Read the paragraph from an essay. What is the student´s answer to the question?

Q: "Should a government try to make its citizens happy?"

A: Yes, every government should try to increase citizens´happiness in addition to stimulating economic growth in other ways.

-What reasons does the student give?

1. Happy workers are more effective, as well as more productive.
2. Happy people contribute more to their community in terms of volunteering.
3. Happy people tend to be healthier, wich means that they cost less in terms of health care.

-What other reasons can you think of?

Exercise C

-Rewritten sentences:

1. Governments can have an effect on people´s health. In addition, they can affect their well-being.
2. Some governments measure their nation´s happiness, as well as their GNP.
3. Happy people take fewer sick days. Furthermore, they tend to be more productive at work.
4. An economic recession is bad for a country. Moreover, It makes people unhappy.
5. People in happier countries have a shorter work week in addition to getting more vacation time.
6. People are responsible for their own health in addition to creating their own happiness.

Book Excersices - VIEWPOINT 1

Writing UPS AND DOWNS (Page 92)

Exercise A - 

1.  c
2. a
3. b
4. a
5. d
6. b
7. d
8. c

Exercise B-

Researches are concerned about the decline IN bee colonies. Some blame hard winters. In a normal winter, the number of bees in a hive drops BY ABOUT 10 percent. However, in recent years, beekeepers have seen an annual fall OF APPROXIMATELY 30 percent of the number of bees in their hives. Some had losses BY ABOUT 50 percent, and some even lost ALMOST 90 percent of their bees. Overall, the U.S. experienced a decline OF MORE THAN 70% IN its total bee population. However, this problem does not exist everywhere. In fact, globally, there has been an increase OF MORE THAN 45 percent IN the number of hives, and honey production has also risen BY ROUGHLY 100 percent in the last 50 years.

Grammar ADDING INFORMATION (Page 97)

Exercise B-

1.- One of the happiest moments in my life was HAVING dinner in Italy with my husband. We were on a little island on a lake, EATING outside at a restaurant. And there were these musicians PLAYING music. WATCHING the sunset was so romantic. I can´t remember FEELING happier.

2.- I think the happiest day in my life was CELEBRATING my 18th birthday, PLAYING volleyball on the beach. There were some other guys PLAYING a game, too, and we played against them. They were really good, so WINNING felt really great. We´ve all stayed friends ever since, and when we are GETTING together, it always reminds me of that day.

My earliest happy memory was WINNING the school spelling bee. I WAS FEELING so proud STAYING there. Everyone in the audience STAYING UP and CLAPPING. SEEING my parents faces, was the best moment. I was STAYING on the stage for ages, WANTING NOT to end it all.

Writing Exam 1

A Discovery Story

     Sometimes we underestimate the value and the meaning of "FAMILY", and suddenly, things around us detract our attention to the truly important things in life, making us give the ones we love, only the tiny part of our week that we got left, putting them in last. The saddest part is when we realize that we were wrong, but the time is over, and it´s too late, we can't go back in time.

     I started to work at age of 17, and since then, I´ve never stop working. I was feeling blessed for having a job that really made me happy, I truly enjoyed. Then I had the opportunity to collaborate in Musical Theater,  that became my second passion, and quickly mi life was changed, and my week was a full time schedule with no "family weekends" or vacations.

     I have to admit that I love what I do, and it is why it was so difficult for me to wisely sort my priorities. So, my family became my last priority, and music, my work, theater, friends and dreams were my everything. Now, I know we can have time for both worlds, and WE HAVE TO.

     One day my grandma got sick; that kind of sickness that you can´t control, and there is no turning back. She was always (before I started to perform and worked in my "dreamed job") beside me and my cousins; she was the lovely kind of grandma that you see in movies, but also had an adventurous and fun side too. Once, in summer vacations, She took us all the grandchildren (we were 11 teens then, I still don't know how she dared to takes us all :D) to our first plane travel to Mexico City, and because of her I discovered Musical Theater in that travel. I remember how She loved it, so, one day she spent some of her savings in Theater tickets for all of us. It was my first play ever! It was amazing! I still got the feelings of that day, and how I was watching the show and thinking: "WOW! I want to do that, I need to do it!" and how my heart was beating with the music trough all the musical numbers. I think I owe her many things that I´m living right now (things that will be always dedicate to her)

     So, I was there, sitting at the hospital room, looking at the most caring and bravest woman, lying in bed, stopped because of a stroke. I knew she was awake just because the noise of the tubes that were connected to her throat, and the little "involuntary moves" that she made sometimes with her eyes, or her hands. In that moment I was thinking: Why didn't I spent more time with her?  Why did I miss all the special days? Why did I never said: "No, I cant, I have made plans already with my family"? All these questions came to me like cold water, but it was late.

     That night, back in my home, I was feeling so blue, and then came to me this need of doing something to her, tell her somehow that I have always loved her, and always will. Say thanks to her, and let her know everything would be fine in the end; so I decided to write and record a song for her, just changing the lyrics of an existing one, using a karaoke track and my laptop to do it (not a professional recording, just a gift I wanted to do quickly before she was gone) And I did.

     So, in the next afternoon, when my turn of watching over her came, I carefully put my earphones in her ears, and said to her: "There is something I want you to listen Grandma, I wrote a song for you." I held her motionless hand, and trying to holding back my tears, heard the song with her, where I was saying something like "Even if I couldn't see you, or touch you, I will still feel you. Don't be afraid. I know you can hear me even though doctors say no, and I know you will always be here with me. I can feel it! and I will always love you"  TU ESTAS AQUÍ - Song For my Grandma

     Doctors had told us before, She couldn't hear us, or understand anything, because her brain was no longer working, they called "brain death", but despite what they said about her condition, I know she was listening to my song, I truly believe that she was there with me, and she understood every word.

     Two days later, she passed away, and even when it was a hard time, we felt peace. She was already resting without any fear or pain, and her face was reflecting that peace that I'm sure she is already enjoying.

     Now, almost 5 years later, the songs still gives me chills, but It's one of my favorites because what it means; and I feel blessed to have had a Grandmother like her, for all that she taught me, for the music, something that we shared; and all the love she gave us. I feel so lucky and grateful to have been her granddaughter, and finally I'm glad that her memory always remembers me the truly important things in life.

Luisa Emilia Oliveros

Reply... exercise

EXERCISES A + B

"When I was 17, I wanted to go to college, but I have not finished high school. I was needing one more credit, so I decided to take art history at night school. It was great. (Looking back,) I have always liked art - even before I took that course. (Anyway, getting back to my story, ) the teacher was pretty cool. She played classical music in class. (When i think about it, ) I guess that´s when I learned to love Mozart. (So anyway) she asked us to write an essay on a famous artist, so I chose Vincent van Gogh. I didn´t start my essay until the night before it was due because I was working at my uncle´s store all semester. I sat down to write, but I had left all my art books at work. I only had a book of van Gogh´s letters to his brother, Theo. Also, I had forgotten to buy paper. So for my essay, I wrote letters from Theo to Vinvent on my mother´s fancy writing paper! My teacher loved it. (It´s no wonder that ) I leave things till the last minute. It often works out!"

EXERCISE C

Was it fair that the writer got a good grade? I think it is, because, even when he let the homework for the last minute, he used his creativity to solve the problems and did a good job at the end.
Is it OK to leave things to the last minute? No, it´s not okey, because you have to work trough a lot of pression and stress, and also you could be facing problems that you couldn´t resolve in the last minute, so, it´s allways a better idea to be organized and do things in time.

Is it good to work and study? Maybe it is not the best idea, because you are not focused in just one thing (study for example) and it takes you time that you need for homeworks, but some times it´s something that you HAVE TO.