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The video you are about to watch is part of  an activity I will be doing with my students one of these days. The videos of Mali and Dubai and all the exercises from the videos have been provided  by my colleague MªJosé (visit her blog here). My only contribution has been to arrange what she so generously provided into a Lesson Plan which you will find here: Lesson Plan

[flashvideo filename=https://www.cristinacabal.com/videos/Mali.flv /]

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Taking Risks: Lesson Plan

When last week I asked my students:

Have you ever put your life at risk? or Have you ever done any extreme sports? I began to wonder whether I’ve ever had .
The truth is I’ve never been an adventurous person; maybe I was a bit more in the past when I was younger. I remember I used to like horror films and talking about paranormal phenomena with my friends. I even played the Ouija Board once or twice and went with some peers to visit a mansion ghost, which was said to live in a house in ruins in my own hometown; but I, at least, was pushing the limits of my own courage although I pretended otherwise. I remember the rush of adrenaline I experienced and the feeling of being amazingly brave. But these can be hardly be named extreme sports although some people would say that playing with the unknown is much worse than risking your life doing bungee jumping or sky diving something, I know, I’ll never have the guts to try.

Come to think of it, I’ve sometimes put my life at risk like when I hitchhiked in England being only 19, or refusing to cross the road when seeing a gang of punks drinking and I had to walk past. This counts as risky , doesn’t it?

But the maddest thing I’ve ever done was about 10 years ago in the Wagner Bros Park, in Madrid, when I rode in one of these ride thrill attractions. It was a vertical tower of about 60metres. You are launched up and , believe or not, you take off from your seat and you literally fly before dropping in a breathtaking descent. When I think about it, it still gives me the creeps… Well, I warned you , I’ve never been a thrill seeker!!

And you… Do you live on adrenaline rushes? Are you hooked on the buzz of the extreme?

If you would like to do a lesson on Extreme Sports and Taking Risks , click HERE

My Ideal Job

Kindly sent by Miguel Raposeiras

I don’t know if you have heard it but, last Monday, the International Labour Organization reported that about 20 million jobs have been destroyed since September 2008. And the day before yesterday, Mr. Obama announced a new plan in order to decrease the unemployment rate.

Why am I telling you this? Because, and this is not a secret, it’s really hard to find a job nowadays. So, it’s a good time to imagine what kind of job we would like to have.

In my case, the first thing I have to say is: ‘I don’t like working’. Working is mundane and usually stressful. But I realize it’s a need. I mean, not only for having a fixed income, but for having your mind occupied and feeling you’re useful. Unemployed people get depressed easier than workers. Despite this, I have it clear that I work for living and not live for working. As you can imagine, I’m an expert waiting until the eleventh hour to do my tasks.

Second, I have to get job satisfaction. A really good job for me would be the one which makes me claim: ‘Oh, man! I would work for free… but don’t tell my boss!’. It doesn’t mind if I’m not good at doing it, I need to be happy doing whatever I have to do. For example, I’ve been said to be good with figures… but I hate numbers!

Third, getting on well with my colleagues is very important for me. If there is a great job atmosphere, you’ll be more comfortable working.

And, finally, it would be important, but not necessary, that my boss were able to get the best out of me. I always need to be motivated. Furthermore, I work better if the tasks are challenging for me. I think it’s a satisfying way to avoid boredom at work.

To sum up, my ideal job must be stimulating and I need to be able to develop my personality and skills in it.

Birth order

According to what we have discussed in class, the order in which you are born in the family seems to shape your personality. I have done some research on the internet and many experts do not agree on this statement. Scientists say that at least two other variables should be considered; these are: family size and the socioeconomic status of the family. For example, large families are generally lower in socioeconomic status than small families. Hence third born children are not only third in birth order, but they are also more likely to come from larger, poorer families than firstborn children. If third borns have a particular trait, it may be due to birth order, or it may be due to family size, or to any number of other variables. Consequently, there are a large number of published studies on birth order that vary widely in quality and are inconsistent in their conclusions. Therefore, we cannot say that birth order will have such a tremendous effect on shaping our personality.

Regardless of this, there are some characteristic traits that could be applied to each birth order:

* Characteristic traits of the oldest sibling: The oldest sibling is the most independent and also the most responsible of the group. They are natural born leaders and like to be in control. They strive for perfection, and thrive on approval of authority figures, like for example, their parents. They tend to do well in school, their careers, and life in general. The oldest child is also the most likely to be the most successful of the bunch, and might make more money as an adult than other siblings. The first born might end up in an occupational area such as engineering, architecture, or accounting.

Famous first borns include: Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, J. K. Rowling, and Sylvester Stallone.

* On the other hand, the middle child, who feels deprived of attention and worries about being over-looked, tends to be more rebellious as a youngster. But as an adult, they become the compromisers of the world and enjoy pleasing others. They enjoy working in groups and love feeling like they belong. They are good at making friends and getting along with others. They are also laid back, patient and loud. These children tend to flock to occupations that are more people oriented than their older siblings.

Famous middle borns include: Bill Gates, Richard Nixon, Cindy Crawford, Donald Trump and Julia Roberts.

* Finally, the youngest child generally is the most artistic of the group. They are also most likely to be the class clown, since they will do just about anything for attention, and usually are characterized as the show-off of the family. But, at the same time, they are very affectionate and caring.

Famous last borns include: Jim Carrey, Billy Crystal, Cameron Diaz and Danny deVito.

Kindly sent by Maria Angeles Tamargo, a student in the Advanced Level

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