James Cameron ~ before being a filmmaker, a curious boy ~

James Cameron's films create an unreal world all their own. In this personal talk, he reveals his childhood fascination with the fantastic, and how it ultimately drove the success of his blockbuster hits "Aliens," "The Terminator," "Titanic" and "Avatar."

Watch the video again and discuss the following questions:

1. What did he like doing when he was a child?

2. What did he used to do after reading books?

3. What did he discover after watching Jacques Cousteau's documentaries?

4. What did he decide to do when he was 15 years old?

5. Where was his first diving  experience?
6. How many hours did he spend diving?
7. What does he think about nature and human imagination?
8. Why did he decide to become a filmmaker?
9. Was "The Abyss" a successful movie?
10. What type of company did he set up with a friend?
11. Why did he make the movie "Titanic"?
12. What did he learn from doing expeditions to the real Titanic?
13. What did he try to apply in his movie "Avatar"?
14. What did he learn in the process of making his movies?
15. "Failure is an option, but fear is not." What do you think?

Song: Instant Crush

"Instant Crush" is a song by French electronic music duo Daft Punk from their fourth studio album Random Access Memories (2013). It features vocals from American musician Julian Casablancas, who co-wrote the song with Daft Punk members Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. "Instant Crush" was released as the fourth overall single from the album on 22 November 2013. It was number 58 on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Best Songs of 2013 list.

Listen to the song and fill in the gaps with these words:

see - friend - cold - forget - disguise - get - regret - said - problems - time - go - say

[Verse 1]
I didn't want to be the one to 

 I thought of everything I'd never   

 A little time with you is all that I   

 That’s all we need because it's all we can take

One thing I never see the same when your 'round
I don’t believe in him—his lips on the ground
I wanna take you to that place in a rush
But no one gives us any time anymore

You used me once, you fled, looking, it was dark
You made an offer for it, then you ran off
I got this picture of us kids in my head
And all I hear is the last thing that you   

[Pre Chorus]
"I listened to your 

 Now listen to mine"
I didn't want to anymore, oh oh oh

[Chorus]
And we will never be alone again
'Cause it doesn't happen every day
Kinda counted on you being a   

 Can I give it up or give it away
Now I thought about what I wanna say
But I never really know where to   

 So I chained myself to a  

  'Cause I know it unlocks like a door

And we will never be alone again
'Cause it doesn't happen every day
Kinda counted on you being a   

 Can I give it up or give it away
Now I thought about what I wanna say
But I never really know where to
So I chained myself to a
Some more again

[Verse 2]
It didn't matter what they wanted to   

He thought he saw someone that looked just like me
The summer memory that just never dies
We worked too long and hard to give it no   

He sees right through me, it's so easy with lies
Cracks in the road that I would try and   

 He runs his scissors at the seam in the wall
He cannot break it down or else he would fall
One thousand lonely stars hiding in the
Take it, I don't wanna sing anymore

[Pre Chorus]
"I listened to your  

  Now listen to mine"
I didn't want to anymore, oh oh oh

[Chorus]
And we will never be alone again
'Cause it doesn't happen every day
Kinda counted on you being a   

 Can I give it up or give it away
Now I thought about what I wanna say
But I never really know where to go
So I chained myself to a   

 'Cause I know it unlocks like a door

And we will never be alone again
'Cause it doesn't happen every day
Kinda counted on you being a   

 Can I give it up or give it away
Now I thought about what I wanna say
But I never really know where to go
So I chained myself to a  

  'Cause I know it unlocks like a door...

I don't understand, don't get upset
I'm not with you
We’re swinging around,
It's all I do, when I'm with you

[Chorus]
And we will never be alone again
'Cause it doesn't happen every day
Kinda counted on you being a   

 Can I give it up or give it away
Now I thought about what I wanna say
But I never really know where to go
So I chained myself to a   

 'Cause I know it unlocks like a door

And we will never be alone again
'Cause it doesn't happen every day
Kinda counted on you being a   

Can I give it up or give it away
Now I thought about what I wanna say
But I never really know where to go
So I chained myself to a
'Cause I know it unlocks like a door

Warren Fu directed the music video for "Instant Crush" with production by Daft Arts. He was previously responsible for the album artwork of Random Access Memories, and co-directed the video for "Lose Yourself to Dance". Tony Gardner and Alterian, Inc. designed character effects for "Instant Crush" and created statues from wax and fiberglass. Gardner previously directed Daft Punk's music video for "The Prime Time of Your Life" and was involved in the feature film Daft Punk's Electroma as well as the Alive 2006/2007 tour. Clips from the "Instant Crush" video were released exclusively on French news channel BFM TV on December 5, 2013. The full music video was released on Vevo the following day.

The music video has a 4:3 aspect ratio and has a film-like effect. It involves the love story of two wax figures on display at an exhibition hall: a French soldier who bears a resemblance to Casablancas, and a female peasant on display across him. The video is interspersed with shots of Casablancas singing. The two figures are later put into a storage room where a fire starts, causing them to fall over beside each other and hold hands as they melt. "Instant Crush" contains a brief appearance of the Daft Punk robot helmets, which were originally engineered by Gardner and Alterian. The video was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" as well as The Twilight Zone television series.

The Story of Solutions

The Secret Powers of Time

The Work Life Balance

Video: Seniority is meaningless

How to handle awkward social situations

The Simpsons - Bart The General -

To watch the episode Bart The General click on this link: 

 -bart-the-general-

After watching the video discuss these questions with your classmates:
1. What problems does Bart have at school?
2. What do Marge, Homer, and Grandpa Simpsons advise Bart to do?
3. Who do you think gives Bart the best advice?
4. What would you advise him to do?
5. What does Bart think about war? Do you agree / disagree with him?
6. How can we stop bullying?

The Simpsons - Treehouse of Horror II -

Click on this link to watch The Simpsons - Treehouse Of Horror II -

I hope you enjoy it!

This is an episode in which three of the characters have nightmares. Watch it and write a summary and a review about it. These questions can help you:

Lisa's nightmare
1. What country do the Simpsons visit?
2. What object does Homer buy?
3. What's wrong with this object?
4. What do Maggie, Bart, Lisa, Homer and Flanders wish for? What happens to them after their wishes come true?
5. What's the moral of the story?
6. Find information about the short story The Monkey's Paw by W. W.  Jacobs. What are the differences between this story and this part of the episode?

Bart's nightmare
1. What's Bart special power?
2. What does Bart do at home and at school?
3. What happens to Homer?
4. Where do Marge and Homer take Bart to? Why?
5. What does the psychologist recommend Homer to do?
6. What happens in the end? Why does Bart wake up screaming?

Homer's nightmare
1. What happens to Homer at work?
2, What does Mr Burs create?
3. What new job does Homer get?
4. What happens with the robot Burns created? Why?
5. Find information about the novel Frankestein. Are there any similarities between this novel and this episode of The Simpsons?

Check out this Simpsons Wiki to find out info about the characters and episodes.

♫ One :: U2 ::

Listen to the song and fill in the gaps with these words:

disappoint - better - life - love - same (x2) - nothing - night - blame - tonight - without - much - temple - again - sisters - blood - enter

Is it getting (1) ?
Or do you feel the (2) ?
Will it make it easier on you now?
You got someone to (3)
You say...

One (4)
One (5)
When it's one need
In the (6)

One love
We get to share it
Leaves you baby if you
Don't care for it

Did I (7) you?
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth?
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go (8) ?
Well it's...

Too late
(9)
To drag the past out into the light

We're one, but we're not the (10)
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other
One...

Have you come here for forgiveness?
Have you come to raise the dead?
Have you come here to play Jesus
To the lepers in your head?

Did I ask too (11) ?
More than a lot
You gave me (12)
Now it's all I got

We're one
But we're not the same
Will we
Hurt each other
Then we do it (13)

You say
Love is a (14)
Love a higher law
Love is a temple
Love the higher law

You ask me to (15)
But then you make me crawl
And I can't be holding on
To what you got
When all you got is hurt

One love
One (16)

One life
You got to do what you should

One life
With each other
(17)
Brothers

One life
But we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other

One... love

One

* Key: 1) better, 2) same, 3) blame, 4) love, 5) life, 6) night, 7) disappoint, 8) without, 9) tonight, 10) same, 11) much, 12) nothing, 13) again, 14) temple, 15) enter, 16) blood, 17) sisters

Share your opinion with us!

• Do you like this song? Why?

• What's its message / meaning?

• What do you think about U2?

• What type of music do you like listening to?

• Do you usually go to concerts? Who with?

• Tell us about the best concert you have ever been to. When was it? Where? Who did you go with? Did you take photos? Did you have a good time?

Video: Five Ways To Listen

Watch the video and choose the best option.

1. What percentage of what we hear do we retain?
a.  25 %
b.  60 %
c. 100 %

2. Why does he say that "sonority is time and meaning" ?  
a. Because listening is a process of extraction.
b. Because sound places us in space and time. 
c. Because intention is very important in listening.

3. Why are we losing our listening? 
a. Because we have invented other ways of collecting information such as writing, audio and video recording.
b. Because the world now is not very noisy.
c. Because the art of conversation is being replaced by personal broadcasting.


Answer these questions:

1. Why does he say that losing our listening is a serious problem?
2. Can you mention the five exercises that he recommends to do to improve our own conscious listening?
3. Why does he say that every human being needs to listen consciously?
4. Do you like this video? Why /why not?
5. What strategies / techniques do you usually use to develop your listening skills in your mother tongue and in English?

Random :: photos taken / selected by students ::

These are photos some students of English have taken / chosen to describe.

Thanks for sharing these pictures and for your comments. We can all learn from each other.

The Twin Towers

by Natalia

This photo represents the most important terrorist attack in the world. It was taken by the photographers of New York Time magazine and they won the Pulitzer Prize 2002. When the airplanes crased into the Twins Towers where a lot of people were working inside them. Also these buildings were in the financial and commercial heart on the global economy. For this reason the number of deaths was 2996 people. The fall of the Twins Towers  was a shock for the USA and the international community and the United States responded to the attacks invading Afghanistan. The American people were shocked that day. They were living a historical moment.

 

 

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Hail in Mar del Plata

by Valeria

I took this photo a few months ago. I was looking through the window of my apartment when a terrible hailstorm began. Suddenly everything was white: cars, trees and houses were all covered by ice. This type of storm is not very common in Mar del Plata, it had never happened anything similar before. 

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Singing

by Máximo

My friend Nayla took this photo in January, 2009. There were three people on the stage. The three people were my friends Joel and Angel and me. I remember that the owner of that place invited us to walk onto the stage. We walked up to the stage and then we started to sing. I remember that we played an old song by Pappo Blues. While we were singing on the stage, my friend Nayla was recording and taking photos to us. After we finished the song, the customers of that place started to clap their hands and that was surprising! It was a nice nigth with friends!

Travel :: New York :: 10 places you must visit in The Big Apple

Let's watch this video about 10 top places you can visit in New York. 
Look at the chart below and order the places in the way they are shown in the video.
I  hope you enjoy it!

Statue of Liberty
Lincoln Center, The Metropolitan Opera, The New York Philharmonic, The New York City Ballet and the Julliard School
Empire State Building
5th Avenue
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Times Square and Brodway
Brookling Bridge
Central Park
Chinatown
Wall Street

. What can you do in these places? Watch the video again and complete the chart.

. Have you ever been to New York?
. Why is it call The Big Apple? 
. What other places in New York (which are not shown in this video) do you know?
. Is New York similar to any cities in your country? In what ways are they similar or different from The Big Apple?

♫ New York, New York :: Frank Sinatra ::

The City of New York has been the most populous city in the United States since 1790, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city located in the state of New York, it exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment. As host of United Nations headquarters, New York is also an important center for international affairs.

"New York, New York" is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York (1977), composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and performed in the film by Liza Minnelli. It was suggested to him by Howard Huntridge, an English Television producer, during a meeting at Caesars Palace Las Vegas in 1977. The song has been embraced as a celebration of New York City, and is popular particularly at public social events in the city, lending it a quasi-status as the city's anthem. In 1979, it was recorded by Frank Sinatra, for his album Trilogy: Past Present Future (1980), and has since become closely associated with him. He occasionally performed it live with Minnelli as a duet.
 

* Source: Wikipedia

Listen to the song and complete the lyrics with the missing words:

city (x2)   -   part   -   shoes   -   sleeps (x2)   -   list   -   one   -   news   -   you   -   today   -   blues (x2)

Start spreading the (1)

I'm leaving (2)

I want to be (3) of it
New York, New York

These vagabond (4)

Are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it
New York, New York

I wanna wake up in that  (5)

That doesn't (6)

And find I'm king of the hill
Top of the heap  

These little town  (7)

Are melting away
I'll make a brand new start of it
In old New York

If I can make it there
I'll make it anywhere
It's up to (8)

New York, New York

New York, New York
I want to wake up in that (9)

That never (10)

And find I'm a number

Top of the (11)

King of the hill
A number (12)

These little town (13)

Are melting away
I'm gonna make a brand new start of it
In old New York
And if I can make it there 

I'm gonna make it anywhere
It's up to you
New York, New York
New York

* Key: 1) news. 2) today, 3) part, 4) shoes, 5) city, 6) sleeps, 7) blues, 8) you, 9) city, 10) sleeps 11) hill,  12) one, 13) blues

. What do you know about "the American dream"? What does it mean?

♫ My Generation :: The Who ::

"My Generation" appeared on The Who's debut album of the same name. It was released as a single on 5th November 1965, reaching No. 2 in the UK charts and 74 in the US. "My Generation" was recently named the 11th greatest song by Rolling Stone magazine on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Listen to the song and complete the lyrics with the following words:

around (x2)   -   down (x2)    -    fade (x2)    -    old (x2)    -   cold (x2)   -   say (x2)    -    sensation (x2)

People try to put us (1) (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we get  (2) (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful (3) (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get  (4) (Talkin' 'bout my generation)

This is my generation
This is my generation, baby

Why don't you all  (5) away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try to dig what we all  (6) (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm not trying to cause a big  (7) (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm just talkin' 'bout my generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)

This is my generation
This is my generation, baby

Why don't you all (8) away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try to dig what we all  (9) (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm not trying to cause a big  (10) (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm just talkin' 'bout my generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)

This is my generation
This is my generation, baby

People try to put us  (11) (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we get  (12) (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful  (13) (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Yeah, I hope I die before I get  (14) (Talkin' 'bout my generation)

This is my generation
This is my generation, baby


* Key: 1) down, 2) around, 3) cold, 4) old, 5) fade, 6) say 7) sensation, 8) fade, 9) say, 10) sensation, 11) down, 12) around, 13) cold, 14) old 

Video: The Story of Bottled Water

The Story of Bottled Water, released on March 22, 2010 (World Water Day) employs the Story of Stuff style to tell the story of manufactured demand—how you get Americans to buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows from the tap.

Over five minutes, the film explores the bottled water industry attacks on tap water and its use of seductive, environmental-themed advertising to cover up the mountains of plastic waste it produces. The film concludes with a call to take back the tap, not only by making a personal commitment to avoid bottled water, but by supporting investments in clean, available tap water for all.

VIDEO: We All Want To Be Young

The movie "We All Want to Be Young" is the outcome of several studies developed by BOX1824 in the past 5 years. BOX1824 is a Brazilian research company specialized in behavioral sciences and consumer trends.

This movie has an open license by Creative Commons.

Written and directed by Lena Maciel, Lucas Liedke and Rony Rodrigues.

Thanks: Zeppelin Films

Click on this link to watch the  film: We All Want To Be Young

♫ Last Train To London :: Electric Light Orchestra ::

Have you ever danced this song at a party or at the disco?

Let's watch this vintage video of Last Train To London and fill in the gaps with the misssing words.

I hope you enjoy it!
 

around  -  nights  -  air  -  tonight  -  out  -  down  -  sky  -  stay  -  forever  -  town  -  realize

It was 9:29, 9:29, back street, big _____________.

The sun was going __________,

There was music all _____________

It felt so right.

It was one of those ___________,

One of those nights when

You feel the world stop turning,

You were standing there,

There was music in the _________________

I should have been away,

But I knew I'd have to ___________________

Last train to London,

Just heading _____________,

Last train to London,

Just leaving _________

But I really want tonight to last ________________

I really wanna be with you.

Let the music play on down the line __________________

It was one of those nights,

One of those nights when

You feel the fire is burning,

Everybody was there,

Everybody to share,

It felt so right.

There you were on your own,

Lookin like you were

The only one around,

I had to be with you,

Nothing else that I could do,

I should have been away,

But I knew I'd have to say.

Last train to London,

Just heading _____________,

Last train to London,

Just leaving _________

But I really want tonight to last ________________

I really wanna be with you.

Let the music play on down the line __________________

Underneath a starry ____________

Time was still but hours

Must really have rushed by,

I didn't _________________

But love was in your eyes,

I really should have gone,

but love went on and on...

Last train to London,

Just heading _____________,

Last train to London,

Just leaving _________

But I really want tonight to last ________________

I really wanna be with you.

Let the music play on down the line __________________