OUR ENGLISH MAGAZINE
INS LLUIS DE PEGUERA December 2013
CONTENTS From the editors Reports Storytime Zodiac Pastimes Idioms
p. 1 p. 2-3 p. 4-5 p. 6 p. 7-8 p. 9
From the editors Welcome to Peguera's very first English magazine. We are very excited to be working on this project, where everything is open, everything is possible. We hope students, teachers, and parents alike will enjoy it. You will find stories, news reports and even pastimes created by our students. We hope this first issue is full of interesting content for you all, especially now that the need to improve the level of English in our schools is so up-todate. Efforts must be made to change this and turn Catalonia into a country where the average person has an English level similar to that of most European countries. That is why we will be offering you a selection of our students' work each term, and why we need your feedback and your contributions. So stay tuned for next issue, and we do hope you really enjoy reading this one as much as we enjoyed preparing it.
Esperança Guà rdia Alba Muntaner
Contributor: Soledad Gonzalo
1
LIVING WITH A DEAD CORPSE On 17th of October, the police found here in Manresa the dead bodies of an elderly man and his daughter inside their home. They lived in Navarra street, Manresa, close to Catalunya square. The woman, Àngels Muñoz, who was 37, died a month ago from natural causes but her father, Rafael Muñoz, had been dead for over a year, so he was in an advanced state of decomposition. During this time , his daughter had hidden the man’s body in a room. Last August, as a result of neighbors’ complaints, the police officers went to the house and the woman told them that her father had returned to his home town in Aragón. The Social Services tried to help her too but she kept saying everything was fine. This week, also due to the strong odor that came from the house , the agents decided to go on their own and they found the woman's body and then the father’s , in another room. Finally, the police said that they hadn't had to intervene much because there didn't seem to be criminal evidence. They both looked like natural deaths. Arnau Gorchs i Ricard Sorokine 2n. BTX C
2
CATALANS FORM A HUMAN CHAIN FOR INDEPENDENCE FROM SPAIN On the 11th of September Catalan people celebrate their national day, but this year they have achieved a very special goal forming a human chain across the country, in order to reclaim their right to choose their future freedom. About one million six hundred thousand people joined their hands to form a 400 km human chain across the region. The act was organised by the Catalan National Assembly. Mr. Mas, the president of Catalonia has been urging Madrid to negotiate a legal framework in order to hold a referendum next year in Catalonia. However, the central government don’t allow the north eastern region to have a referendum because they say that it is “unconstitutional”. If Madrid continues to block a referendum president Mas will turn regional elections into a vote on independence in 2016. So, Catalan people have reaffirmed their determination to be a free state with a historic movement. Mireia Gómez and Eduard Pérez 1st Bat A
3
THE DOLL This story happened in Restwood City, in Harper’s Family house.
Emily Harper, on her birthday, received a lot of gifts and presents from her family, but one had no name. Inside, there was a doll.
That doll wore a black and red dress, she had dark hair and she didn’t have a face. Emily fell in love with her and began to treat her as a real friend. Her best friend.
Their parents, concerned, decided to take the doll away in secret and threw her to the rubbish.
From that day, Emily didn’t speak or move, she only sang a children’s song.
A few days later, a serious illness attacked Emily and she finally died.
Nowadays, her parents are in an asylum, and they only sing the famous children´s
song all day. And they always look through the
window, where they say they see “the beautiful doll”.
Jesús Morgado Vera - 1r BAT. G
4
SOMETHING LIKE FALLING
Can you offer your heart for humanity? She had been jumping from roof to roof for five minutes and had yet to catch that man. He was too fast for a human. She pushed harder on her legs and drew her gun on the target without decreasing her speed, but then he disappeared. No, he didn't. He had just jumped between two buildings. She kept running, dashed forward and landed by the man's side, making him unable to avoid the deadly bullet she just fired. And then that monster fell on the floor, defeated. “I won”, she said, with an emotionless tone. She didn't feel guilty, after
all, it was her job. They gave her a target, she killed it. Always the same, with not even a slight difference.
Then she hid the gun inside her violin's case, as usual, and turned back. In her face that common blank stare.
Have you ever felt so bad that you couldn't even breathe? Anna Martínez – 1r Batx G
5
YOUR ZODIAC FOR THE NEXT MONTH a
Aries Your relationship with your crush will get to a crucial point by tomorrow. Make sure you use your seduction skills. Take care of the weather changes; they may make you ill. You will still be having the same luck with money: none. Make sure you pay attention in class and everything will be fine.
b
Taurus You will have a fight with your partner. You will lend some money to someone important in your life. Try to get more rest. You will meet an interesting person at school.
c
Gemini You will pay an old debt. You will fall asleep in class. You should practise more sport to feel better. You will be happy this month because you will meet your soul mate.
d
Cancer Your love relationship will be experimenting a new phase. Your love will be stronger than ever. You will be really healthy. Keep working and you will reach all your goals. At school you're working so hard, that you will pass all your exams.
e
Leo You will travel with your partner, and you will meet people from your past, which will make you feel very happy. At work you will need to be very patient. Eat more fruit and try to be more concentrated at school.
f
Virgo This month will be very hectic for your family and you. You will get some information that will change your life. You will be a bit tired of love and its problems. Your health will be quite good.
g
Libra You may find a job if you're looking for it. If you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend, you will have a fight, but everything will be solved in the end. You will lose your wallet if you are so absentminded. Your health will be excellent.
h
Scorpio Be patient, love is getting closer. At work you will feel like giving up, but cheer up! At school it won't seem to you that everything is wrong. You will probably catch a cold because you seldom wear warm clothes.
i
Sagittarius You will need to stay strong and cope with a little crisis, but everything will go back to normal. You will need to eat more to stay strong now it's getting colder. You're going to win something; it will make you happy. Next week will be a bit stressful so make sure you stay calm. Drink a lot of tea. Green tea.
j
Capricorn This month is full of good fortune: you will win the Euromillion and you will be rich for life. You will have love, but only for one night. You won't be feeling very healthy: take care of yourself.
k
Aquarius In love, you will be experimenting something you will have never experimented: don't be afraid. Don't get stressed about everything, you will get whatever you want. You will be spending too much money, be careful. As usual, you'll be leaving your homework for the last minute. That won't be good now you're in your last year.
l
Pisces You'll start the month feeling really upset, but don't worry because you will find the love of your life. You'll be very busy at school but you will accomplish your goals. If you have a job, you will earn a bit more money, congratulations! Take some vitamin C.
By the evening students of 2nd of Batxillerat
6
1A Batxillerat
7
8
i.e. People should not criticize others for flaws they have themselves
to have a bad hair day Informal 1. a day on which one's hair is untidy and unmanageable 2. a day of mishaps and general irritation
a rolling stone i.e. a person who is unwilling to settle for long in one place 9