THE WITCHES BY Roald Dahl

 Brainstorming

ü  How to recognized a witch

ü  Why the witches could be the most dangerous creature of the world?

ü  The mystery of the grand high witch

ü  What kind of spell usually use the witches for disappear kids

ü  The grandma: an old enemy of the grand high witch

ü  What learned Luke when he was a mouse

Outlining

1.    The characters

a.    The pets: Mary and William

b.    The grandma, who fought with the grand high witch

c.    Luke, whose parents died in a car accident

d.    The Grand High Witch, which makes me feel so scared

2.    Main ideas

a.    How Luka met the witches

·         Grandma´s illness

·         Travel to Bournemounth

·         The meeting with Mr. Stringer, who was the owner of the hotel

·         The big room

b.    Luka was caught for the witches

·         The Formula 86 delayed action mouse-maker

·         The witches´ project

c.    The solution

·         Granma´s plan

·         Luka returned to be a kid

FULL TEXT

The Witches by Ronald Dahl, but retell for me: A beautiful white mouse

This is not a fairy tale, believe me, this is a real story about the most dangerous creatures that have ever exist on earth. Hi, my name is Mary and I am a beautiful and an intelligent white mouse; in this moment I am an expert tight- rope walker and I am a rock star in the Luke´s white mouse circus, but, obviously the mouse who is a natural acrobat has a past, let me tell you this terrifying story…

I was in a pet´s store with my brother Willian, and one day ran into the place a beautiful old woman, with a long black cigar, who bought us as a gift for her grandson. She picked up us and after she left this couple of mice with a brilliant kid: Luke. We usually had a great time with Luke, and we used to play a lot of, indeed, was Luke who showed me how walk for the string. One day, grandma’s Luke got an ill and the doctor said that we should travel to a hotel near the sea, because she had pneumonia, and this illness is dangerous when a person is more than eighty years.

In this difficult situation, we followed the doctor´s suggestions, and in Easter holidays we took a train to Bournemounth, a peaceful town in England, whose sea views made of this city a pretty boring place to spend our summer holiday. In this city, definitely happen to me the most frightful episode of all my life.

Firstly, Luke decided that he wish he had to use William and me for make some jokes, and he taught us how to creep up for the sleeve of his jacket and come out by his neck, this was amazing but, suddenly appeared in our bedroom the hotel´s own, and he told to Luke and his grandmother, that if Luke wanted to keep the mice he had to put us into a box.    

But Luke decided to seek a safer place where we could play and enjoy our vacations; and in front of us appeared an empty room and the notice on the board said “Annual meeting of the royal society for the prevention of cruelty to children”, but we sidled cautiously into the room when surprisingly showed up hundreds of beautiful women with gloves in their hands and flashy dresses; but in this place, there was a young lady, that was tiny and wore black gloves and a long black dress.

Luke was behind a screen, and suddenly he said to us “Willian, Mary I am going to die, this room is full of witches, and they don´t like the kids”, when I looked again the meeting, those beautiful girls whose dresses was terrific simply had disappeared and we were in front of the most dangerous creatures of all the world.

Before continue with the story, I am going to show you how to recognize a witch: A witch is always a woman; Witches wear gloves even in the house; a real witch always wears a wig to hide her baldness and they have slightly larger nose hole than ordinary person; finally, they have in the middle of their eyes a little black dot that changing color all the time.

 Now, you know how a witch is and Luke knew too, because his grandma taught to him. But, this story continues, and the witches caught to Luke and transformed him in a mouse like us. William and I decided that we had to help and we show to Luke how the mouse´s life is and we picked up him to her grandma, fortunately she had the solution for this big problem

He told to his grandma the witches ‘plan: each England´s witch would buy a candy store with the money that the grand witch had done in her house, after they should put a little bit of the mix that they had used with Luke in all the candies; later, they should prepared a Great Gala Opening and they should give all the choc and sweet to the kids from England. When the children were in their school at the next day, they would transform into mice and the teachers would put rat´s tramps and killed their students. 

Ahead this terrible plan, we knew that we should do something and with Luke´s help, in first place, we stole the magic mix that transformed him in a mouse, and after, we put this formula in the witches’ food and when they were in the dining- room, all of them had massive overdoses and those ladies turned into tons of brown mice. After this, Luka´s grandma found out the perfect recipe for return to Luka his original human form, and he flow back to the normalcy.

Now, I am here telling you this story, and my only advice for you is that the witches are real and luckily there are not a great number of those creatures, but they still exist and you have to take care you and your little brothers, because most of the witches are lovely and your neighbor could be one of they.

Rights Vs. Beliefs

Rights Vs. Beliefs

In my view, the discussion between the methods of the religion and the medical science around the health still continue. One reason is that the power of the religion is smaller than in other centuries, and in nowadays the population is asking for others treatment to combat the illnesses. Whereas, there are people that still believe that god is the responsible for the destiny and put ahead the health their beliefs; this kind of situations is more dangerous for the kids, because, they are not autonomy for take care by their selves and need their parents for grow up healthy.

In this way, this essay is principally a presentation about the implications of the religion for the child that life surrounded fanatic people. First I want to show, that in the Colombian´s politic constitution, the most important right is “The life”; in this way the article number 11 arguments that who attend against this right will be judge and penalize.  

 On the other hand, our politic constitution also talks about the freedom for development the personality and in the article number 19 said:

“The government has to guarantee to all the people that can be free to express the opinion about the religion, anyone have the right to profess his/her beliefs in a group or individually”.

To put in another way, in the justice system, “The life” is the most important right, and the children have the right to grow up healthy, but the people can believe in whatever they want. In this way the government has a big responsibility with the kids and the law of the country has to be more special with this group, and the governors have to design politics that protect their lives, but the parents has the biggest responsibility: take care the life of their sons and daughters, for this reason, they have to use all the tools for make kid´s life better.

When the parents put their beliefs ahead the health of their children, the results can be a total disaster, for example, the case of Amy Hermanson, a sweet girl that only had 8 years old, which died for a simple medical condition –Diabetes-, because she didn´t received medical attention. In this case, I have only one conclusion, the parents had to carry the girl to the hospital for try with others treatments, but, they preferred follow their beliefs and in this case, they are guilty for the dead of the girl, this attitude was negligent and selfish. The girl had the right to grow up with health, and in her case, she didn´t had autonomy, for this, their parents had the responsibility to take care of her.

 In others words, Amy´s parents are from a community that believe in the Christian´s Science, and they have alternatives treatments for heal the diseases, when Amy got sick, they decided to try to heal the child with prayer and two days after Amy died. For me, the Christian´s science doesn´t exist, and the Shepherds ought to be more careful with their suggestions in this kind of situations, they had better make recommendations about visit a doctor and make all the things possible for take care Amy.

Additionally, the church can´t take the place of the doctors and this institution ought to be penalty for hide and be accomplice in this crime.

On the other hand, in the court the law has to know that also the parents have the right to express their beliefs and follow this, maybe, they didn´t used the social security system, and, didn´t knew the size of the illness of their daughter. This situation happens all the time, because, the parents underestimate the words of their kids, and church members acknowledge that theirs solutions sometimes fail, as the medical science.  

In conclusion, I think that the most important thing in this case, is the children´s right to grow up with health and the law ought to be radical and impose a penalty to the church and the parents of the girl for violate the constitutional right of the life. In second place, the beliefs have to be respect, but the law ought to be careful with the fanatics and protect the rights of the kids that live with this kind of people.  

Writing process 

Brainstorming:

One of the most important people´s rights is the health; I think that the church is not a hospital and the shepherds are not doctors, they cannot said what is good or bad about the health of anybody, and one of the most important topics, is that the religion is not a science.

I chose my hypotheses very fast, for me, the law ought to be radical with this kind of murders, because, the parents are absolutely guilty, they had better go to a doctor, and try others treatments for keep on save their daughter’s life.  In other hand, she was minor, for this reason the parents and the government have the responsibility under her life, the law ought to protect the right of the kid to grow up with health and the parents ought to be accused for not respect this right.

Happiest Memories

Happiest Memories

My mother is the oldest of five brothers, my grandma is a great person, and she took care alone of all my uncles and aunts, they were a poor family and they did a lot of efforts for have a better life. When my mother was pregnant of me, and she and my father didn´t had a house for live together, and my grandma said “If one person eat in this house, all the people can eat too”, and we moved for her house.

My childhood was amazing, but my parents had to make a lot of trips; my grandma, my aunt Yelisa and my uncles Chichi, Lucho y Edwin, used to play with me all the time, when I was four years old I used to sell my kisses to my uncles, and they used to give me money for candies.

In the backyard of my grandma used to be a lot of animals, and I used to chase all the day the dogs, and the chickens, I was the nightmare of those poor animals. Also, there was a big trees and I used to eat a lot fruits, and after I always use to have stomach ache.

When I went to sleep, my uncle Edwin used to sing for me and he used to rock my “Hamaca”, and when he stopped, I used wake up and start to cry, but he used to be patient and start his job again.

My grandma is the best person that I have met in my short life, and she always is contact with me and my brother, when I was young she used to be my accomplice and today she is my best friend.

Course 10. Homework No. 1

HP Company:

I have bought a computer two weeks ago, because, I have had a lot of troubles with my old machine, but, I am really disgusted with some functions that my computer should has.   For example, in the HP user guide, say that this computer has a complete illumination system, but the keyboard doesn´t has this function, and I need lights because I usually work at the night. Also, the sound system has damage, because it´s sounds like a noise not like the form that it´s should sound.

For other side, this computer doesn´t has Microsoft Office, and I have searched in Internet, and I found that this computer comes with a basic version of Word and Excel.  This situation is complicated for me, because I am in Cuba and I need a solution quickly. I have the guarantee of this computer, the number of the serial is HP12345, and I bought the machine in Colombia, exactly, in Fallabella shop.

I need an answer, because I have called to the store and no one could not help me, I am really angry and I don´t have time for lose, I have to work really hard, and go to an English course every day at 6: 00 a.m, I need my computer now.

Homework No. 5

 

The new forms of Slavery 

The slavery was a famous system from 16^th to the 19^th centuries, under which people are treated like a goods, the slaves was a property to be bought and sold and forced to work. In Colombia for example, the slavery was abolished since 1851, 161 years ago.  Apparently, the slavery was eliminated in all the countries, but this system exists and has new forms to use the people like an object.

One of the most dangerous slavery´s forms is the human trafficking, and is famous in a lot of countries; one of this is the kingdom of Cambodia. This business used predominantly a lot of child, and tourists around the world have visited this place for raped little girls and boys.  In Cambodia the 35% percent of the prostitutes are under the age of 18 years, and 40%-50% percent are HIV positive.

In Colombia, there are a lot of amazing cities, and our country has been visited for make business, know other culture or simply have a good time on vacation, sadly, cities like Medellin or Cartagena are famous for the child prostitution, and also exist the business of the human trafficking.

For example, in Cartagena, one of the most important city of Colombia, this situation is popular too, but doesn´t exist official statistics; the child prostitution is less famous than in Cambodia, but tourists of all the world has been paid for have sex with kids.   In this city a trafficker sells a young girl for $40.000- $100.000 and she only receive $20.000 per costumer.  

In Cambodia, this situation is most aggressive, because the tourist buys preferably virgins girls; the non- virgins girls are considerate less beautiful, and they are sold from US$150- US$170. Some of these girls are very young, and they have to work since 5 years old.

When the USA Soldiers have been in Cambodia, the number of prostitutes has risen to an estimated of 20.000 persons in this situation.  Evidently, in Cartagena this problem is not as big as Cambodia, but we have to study the situation and make a real diagnostic about the human trafficking in all the country.   

For other side, the human trafficking is not the only kind of slavery; in Brazil there are people working in mines or big plantations in non-human conditions, today there are 40.000.000 of persons sleeping in the floor, and eat only one time in all the day, and they only receive the food as pay for their work.

The strategy is simple, the trafficker visits a poor and little town, and paid to the family some money for the moderns’ slaves, when the people arrive to the mines or plantation, they have to work for pay the transport and the food that the boss has expensed.

These kinds of slavery is very common in our days, and this happen because the people don´t know the laws, maybe, the victims have never been in a school and living in a poverty situation, the solution is not clear, but the government has the obligation to study the situation and design a public politic for control this crime.

HOMEWORK No. 4 Listening

 

Listening

This exercise is about a radio program, the presenters of this show was Ravi and Tess, in the first part of the program, Ravi told to Tess that he wanted take a vacations with his friend Criss, but unfortunately, she broke her leg. After this event, he was planning a travel to Spain, because he wanted relax, and the best city for this is Barcelona.

The next part was an invitation for talk about things that the people like to do; one of the listeners of the program called to the radio station and told about the fell running, the description of this sport is the following:

The Fell running

The name of this sport origins in the north of England and appeared in 19ht century, the first race was in Scotland and this competition in the past was a big business, because the people used gamble for make more money. This sport is a great option for visit other countries and is the way for enjoys the environment. In the record the man say that the fell running is for professionals and amateurs, but he just practice this sport because he enjoy and feel really free.

The fell running has a grade of difficult, because the competitors have to climb mountains, cross lakes, and run in a lot of kind of territory; in this races usually assist a hundred people, because is a good way to spend time in a countryside.

For end the radio show, the presenters made a competition, in this test participated a girl, her name was Lidia, and she had to answer six questions about Holidays. Lidia told about her vacation, and she said that was in a hotel, but she could not go out and enjoy the weather.

Homework No. 3 The red shoes

HOMEWORK No. 3 Subway Stories “The red shoes”

Woman in red shoes: I think that this woman is absolutely aggressive, because when the homeless guy crossed over her shoes, she suddenly adopted a terrible attitude and took the cup and the money of the homeless guy. For other side, she was inconsiderate and her attitude was reckless, because the man did not have one of his legs.

The Homeless guy: This man was an annoying person; he was absolutely unfriendly with all the people, especially whit the woman in the red shoes. I think that he was really confused and this condition was the cause of his bad humor.

The black woman: In this history, the black woman was arrogant and dishonest, when the homeless gay said -after the incident with the woman in the red shoes- ¿What am I going to do?, she immediately woke up and told that this man wasn´t poor, and this was a lie because she never have seem this man. I think that she was absolutely inconsiderate and gossipy.

The writer: In this story he is so patient and a careful observer, but, when the incident happened, he was extremely serious with the black woman, I think that not agree her attitude and decided ask for this conduct.

The people in the subway: In general, the people were absolutely surprised and extremely prevent, because maybe they felt in dangerous; after the event between the homeless gay and the woman in the red shoes, they took the decision to help this man, but when the black woman talked they were completely confused and did not what to do.  

Project Class -Homework No.2

PROJECT CLASS

Brainstorming

• Violence against the woman in Latin America:  The case of Ciudad Juarez, México and Medellín, Colombia
• Two cases for study the advantages and disadvantages of the Legal drugs:  Holanda Versus Colombia  
• An ethno Group of hunters- collectors named Sikuanis from Orinoquia, Colombia

Topic:

"Two cases for study the advantages and disadvantages of the Legal drugs:  Holanda Versus Colombia "

Outlining:

1.       Kinds of drugs

2.       The drugs “The biggest business of all the times”

2.1   Actors of the drug´s business

2.2   Sellers and customers

3.       The Case of Holanda

3.1   Prices

3.2   Percent of addict

3.3   Violence around this business

4.       The Case of Colombia

4.1   Prices

4.2   Percent of addict

4.3   Violence around this business

5.       Advantages and disadvantages of legal drugs  

 

 

Homework No. 1- Video "The License"

VIDEO: THE LICENSE

This text is about an important aspect of the video, relative to “the woman´s position in the society”. I want to analyze this topic using an example, the Menonitas are an ethno religious group, this group derived from the Catholic Church, and is radical about the concepts of the modern society, and the women in these groups never have had the possibility to take decisions by their selves.

Discovery Chanel made a documental about a group of Menonitas from Alemania, but in this moment they are living in Bolivia, and this documental show a lot of women that have raped for their fathers and neighbors, and never have accused those guys; this conduct has a big reason, they never have taken decisions about their bodies or their future, because in this group the women are less important than the men.

Another example for study this kind of violence is the next:   the women that live in this place, never have visited others place and they can´t because they only take care their husbands and kids, a simple woman only can has sexual relations with one man is her life, if her husband die she can´t get marry with other person.  In this culture, no one of the women has studied in a University or in a college.

This custom is insane and inequality, and this kind of situations is not only for the Menonitas women, because is a normal conduct in many radical groups scattered around the world.

The Notice "60 women have raped in a community of Menonitas in Bolivia"