My trip to Italy 2015

On the 9^th of March, my classmates and I were going to our school trip to Italy to celebrate we were finishing teh ESO.

Everything was going on so well except that I was sick: On Saturday's night I started feeling bad and on Sunday's morning I was in high fever, the same as Monday's morning, when I had to leave. I decided that I couldn't stay home even though I was feeling really bad, and at 5:30 am I was in the bus with all my mates.

That Monday we took the plane from Barcelona to Milan. Once there, a bus drove us to Sirmione, a beautiful village next to the majestic Lago di Garda, where we ate a delicious pizza and did some tourism around the peninsula.

After an hour in the bus, we finally arrived to Verona, where our hotel was. We were supposed to visit the famous Arena in the afternoon, but I was feeling so sick that I had to stay in the hotel.

The second day we had the trip to Vencie so we got up before 7 o'clock. I spent a really bad night, so the journey was quite heavy for me. Venice is gorgeous! We visited the most important monuments like Piazza San Marco and Ponte de Rialtto. Venice has no cars in it so the best way to move around is on foot: we walked a lot around the city and also had the opportunity tot visit a famous Murano crristal factory.

While we were going back to Verona by train, we could see a beatiuful sunset by the sea.

Once in Verona, we went to have dinner in a centric restaurant and go for a walk after the meal. It was my firts time walking around those streets, because all I had seen since then was the hotel's bedroom.

The third day was the most calmed: we just took the bus to go to Firenze. The journey lasted all the morning, so we just had time to leave the luggage in the hotel and have lunch. In the afternoon we walked through some of the most famous places of Firenze like Piazza de la Signiora or the Ponte Veccio.

That day I started to feel better.

Thursday, the 4^th day, was the heaviest. We did museums and spent all the day walking, we didn't have any other mean of transport. We also went on the top of Santa Maria del Fiore, where we could see all Firenze!

That afternoon all of us were exhausted and during the free time we couldn't go for a little rest in the hotel because we still had to do the shopping and get lost in the city... After dinner time, we all wanted to sleep, but the teachers made us go for a long walk around Firenze to say good bye, the next day we were leaving.

After a good sleep, we were ready to visit the last city, Pisa. All the morning was dedicated to tidy our rooms and prepare the bags, after that, we took the bus to Pisa, which arrived an hour late. Once in Pisa, we ate a delicious Lassagnia!

We all took the famous Pisa Tower picture and after we visited the Duomo and Baptisteri.

At 5 o'clock we were ready to go back to Florence and take the plane to come back home.

Writing 8

A happy ending

Three years ago my family moved to Australia because of work. It was a really big change in my life, and as I was a teenager I was reveal against my parents and the rest of the people who tried to help me. I failed exams and my bad behavior made teachers get mad at me, I didn't want to make new friends so I got to spend a lot of time alone watching TV and doing nothing.

Everything changed for me the day I met my best friend, Paul. He was in the same situation as me but with a little difference: he wanted to rebuild his life in Australia. He spoke catalan, like me, so at first I was the only one that could help him as he didn't know any English, so that've made me get involved in the situation. I realised how easy things were if one is able to rebuild his life, and I just tried it too.

These days, I feel much happier and comfortable. Helping Paul made me feel more useful and sociable. Since I started helping I've sing up at many volunteer programs like the welkoming school crew.

Writing 7

An opinion essay

The governement plans to introduce a new law in order to improve the level of education shich will mean that all of us will have to go to school on Saturday mornings. In my point of view, this would have some negative consequences.

In the first place, I believe that students have the right to enjoy some free time during two of the seven days of the week. Also they need time to set their heads and try to understant what they did in class.

If the gobernment wants to improve the level, they could add an extra school hour every day, and not invade Saturdays morning time.

7. A short story: a surprise party

When I turned 15th my friends prepared me a surprise birthday party, and I had no idea about it.

The day before my 15th birthday I went to have lunch at my friend's house, and suddenly, when I finished eating, my mum called me to tell me that they were driving to Girona for some important shopping but she'd forgotten to give me keys and there wasn't anybody who could bring them to me. I got angry with her because that weekend I had a lot of school work. At about 6 o'clock my mum sent me a message saying that they were already at home, and when I arrived everything was full of balloons, food, "happy birthday" decorations, etc. My parents told me that I had an hour to get ready. When I came downstairs after an hour, all my friends were there singing "Happy birthday".

6. Last weekend

Last weekend I went to the city to visit my family.

We arrived to Madrid on Friday late night so we just went to bed as soon as we could.

On Saturday we had a big family dinner with all my cousins at my grandparents house and we spent all the day together.

On Sunday my aunt wanted to guide us through Madrid so that's what we did!

5. A new friend

Hi auntie,

How are you? I hope you're well. I'm writing to tell you about my new friend.

He's now in the city, and guess what, he's from Canada!

His name is Simon and he's my age. He's tall and he's got blond hair and blue eyes. Simon loves biking and snowboarding. When he has freee time he likes to take photos. He lives in a far, so he's got like 7 dogs living with him.

Lots of love,

Anna

4. Letter to a new friend (European project)

Hi Susan,

My name is Anna and I'm fifteen. I'm really glad you can come from Sweden to my house for two weeks.

I like skiing, dancing and going out with friends; and, I hate being stressed for school work.

I live in Banyoles, a town in the north-east of Spain, with my parents, my brother and my dog. My school, Escola Casa Nostra, is about 5 minutes by bike from home. I like all my teachers but I don't have a favourite one, neither a favourite subject.

See you soon. Love

Anna

3. A postcard

Hi family!

We're having a great holiday here in París

We're staying in a teenagers hostel from about 10 minutes from the Eiffel Tower. It's really comfortable and familiar. Only people between the age of 15 to 20 are allowed to sleep there and we do activities together every day.

Today we did an excursion to a beautiful lake and during the afternoon we went shopping around the centre. Tomorrow we're going to Disney Land!!

Anna

2. An invitation to a party

Hi

As you all know, next week I'm turning 17 and I want to celebrate it having a birthday party.

We will meet at my house at 8 p.m. We will have dinner and during the rest of the night we will dance till our legs fall exhausted.

We will be around 30 people so it would be great if you bring some beverages, nice clothes and a sleep bag with a pillow.

Hope you can come and see you soon!

Anna

Writing 4

Write about plans for a visit

Hi Marco

I'm just writing to check that everything's OK for your visit.

I think you'll like Banyoles. On Saturday morning we're doing a quickly tour with my best friend on foot because at 12:30 we are going to meet my family and cousins on the other side of the lake where we are going to do something really special that I can't tell you! We will probably end the activity around 16:00. During the afternoon I hope we can have a free time break and after that I've thought we could get a bus and go to the cinema.

On Sunday, we can go and visit Girona, where now there's a cain of fair and it's really nice. We can go for a walk around the city and have lunch there, there's a sushi restaurant you will love!

We're going to meet you at the bus station tomorrow, so can you remind me what time your train gets in?

Looking forward to seeing you.

Anna

Writing 3

Are you for or against using animals for medical research?

At the moment, it is legal in some countries to use animals for medical research, although there are arguments both for and against this practice.

One of the arguments for using animals for medical research is that we could use them for testing new human medicines. In addition, scientists could use animal bodies for anathomy researches.

On the other hand, lots of environment groups defend the idea that animals are able to live without being a medical testing object. Also, some people say that scientist could be more carefull about the number of animals they kill unnecessarily.

All in all, I am not in favor of using animals for medical research. I believe that if it continues, they will end with animals freedom.

Halloween

A long time ago the Celtic culture used to celebrate on October 31^st the festival of Samhain. Now a days October 31^st night is when Halloween, an annual holiday is celebrated. It also shares roots with the Christian holy day of All Saint Day, also named as All Hallows Day, celebrated on the 1^st of November.

During the Samhain festival, the Celtics celebrated the end of the harvest season and the begging of the New Celtic Year, which brought the “Dark season”, when contact with the spirits and the physical world became possible.

It was also a tradition to turn off all the fires and light a bonfire in every hearth to make the spirits go away.

The Halloween name provides from “All Hallows Eve”, the night before All Saints days.

Writing 2

Ask for advice about a relationship

Hi Paul!

I went to a friends party last weekend and I've just met this guy, Marc. He's fantastic, but I'm not sure how I feel about him. I need your advice.

I met him on Saturday's night at Maria's house and he invited me to dance, we had lots of fun that night! He gave me his number and on Tuesday afternoon he invited me to a café with his friends. When we were there he was talking all the time about how gorgeous he was and how all the girls liked him. But when I said goodbye, he walked home with me and became the Marc I'd met on Saturday, an absolutly fantastic boy!

I've been thinking about things a lot since then. I'll probably see him tomorrow, but I'm not sure what to do if he asks me out. He seems very different when he's with his friends. What do you reckon?

Anna

Writing 1

AN ACCOUNT OF A DECADE

The 2000's was a decade which people remember for many reasons, like all the decades. Good and bad times happened, but it will always be remembered.

In the world of music, there were a lot of pop artists in the charts like Eminem, Bridney Spears, Beyoncé, etc. I have to say that pop wasn't the only top music style like in the sixties, rap and hip hop started to became more and more famous. The worst news in the music world were in 2009 when the King of Pop Michael Jackson died.

In the screen Harry Potter was the protagonist, and I would say the best-selling in the decade. But lots of great movies came out such Avatar, Gladiator, The Lord of the Rings, etc.

In the politics world, USA had the most important events. 11^th of September, probably the saddest day to remember for the Americans, when the twin towers were destroyed by a group of terrorists from Afganistan. But I can also talk about a historical event which was also really important: Barack Obama became the first African-American president in America, and he's still in.

Finally I must talk about the new invention in the world of tecnology: The Smart Phone. It was the craziest thing in the 2000, and it will probably change the world.

MY LAST SUMMER

WRITING

Hi people, my name is Anna and today I'm talking about my last summer vacations.

First I'll talk about my trips in the USA and the Italian Alps, and finally about the days in Calella de Palafrugell and in la Cerdanya.

When I just ended the summer I had ballet practice every afternoon because we were doing the ballet performance in a week. I was very busy so I didn't have time enough to begin the holidays.

The first of July I took a plane from the Barcelona Airport to Frankfurt and from Frankfurt to Washington DC (Dulles) to spend a month in the States. In Dulles, the Hammond's, my host familly, were wating for me with the other six host families in my groupmates. The Hammond's lived in a big house in Bristow, a little place in the state of Virginia. They had 4 children: Madeleine (8), Mathew (8), Ella (6) and Petter (4); and they also had a dog, a cat, a pair of guinea pigs and a bunch of fishes.

I started the stage with a big party: the 4^th of July, what the americans call “the Independece day”. They celebrate it every year with fireworks, songs and a big bonfire, so that's exacly how I celebrated it.

I also went to a Camp called Rockbridge which was in West Virginia. It was incredible. I met lots of people there and it was one of the bests parts in the trip.

I spent the rest of the month with the Hammond's and some of the days meeting my groupmates.

Finally the 4^th of August I took a plane from where I arrived to comeback home. It was a long journey that took me time enough to decide that one day I'll repeat this trip.

After a couple of weeks I went with my family to visit my Swiss cousins in Divonne. We did it as an excuse to spend a week in some of the most beautiful mountains in the world: the Italian Alps.

We went throught Suizerland, Austria and Italy by car and we had the oportunity to see the best ski places in Europe. The temperatures were cold so we had to put on winter clothes.

When we were driving back home we stopped in Monaco, where all the rich people go to share with the world their expensive cars, boats and purses. It was absolutly impressing!

Finally in Banyoles, I went to spend some days in Calella de Palafrugell with my friend Laura and we just did what everyone does on the beach.

I also went to spend a week in La Cerdanya to breath a little of fresh air before going back to school.

I had a busy summer but I really enjoyed it!

POWER POINT

MY CLASSMATES

Laia: She started the summer with the spansish chapmpionship in Sevilla, then she went to Ireland to improve her english and finally she went to Llançà.

Lídia: She started the summer going to her sister's wedding, then she went to spend a month in San Diego and finally she went to Joventura

Àlex: He started the summer travelling to Iceland and when he came back he went to l'Estartit.