Unit X - Gastronomy

Gastronomy involves discovering, tasting, experiencing, researching, understanding of food ,writing about food preparation.  In our multicultural society we are familar with food from different parts of our planet and now there is a trend of mixing different tastes and flavors in the new fusion cuisine

Fusion cuisine blends the culinary traditions of two or more nations to create innovative and sometimes quite interesting dishes. It tends to be more common in culturally diverse and metropolitan areas, where there is a wider audience for such food. Some common examples offusion cuisine include Pacific Rim cuisine and Tex-Mex food. Critics of the practice sometimes call it “confusion cuisine,” arguing that chefs rely on novelty to carry the food, rather than flavor, texture, and presentation.

Cooking shows are very popular nowadays. There are even networks devoted to gastronomy. In your  project for our last unit you will have to prepare a dish as in a cooking show. The format should be DVD and at least 10 words from the vocabulary box should be used.

Here is an example of a cooking show where Jamie Oliver, the renowned British chef who has started what he calls a food revolution, to teach people to eat healthier and to cook themselves instead of getting take outs every day.

Exams Unit IX

Tempus fugit. This can be accurately applied to how fast this year has gone by. It seems like yesterday that we started our course and now there is only one unit more to go.

The topic for the unit has been time and we've discussed some aspects of how different people consider time and how punctuality is also a cultural item.

For grammar, we have studied  the slight difference in meaning in the modal verbs for obligation must, mustn't ,and how the negative for of have to implies  no obligation.
Also, we have reviewed the passive voice in some tenses.

Click here to find extra practice for modal verbs of obligation.

Click here to practice passive voice. Try all the exercises to see how you  do.

The grammar exam will be on  Wednesday, May 18th for third ABCD, Thursday May 19th for 2nd ABCD  and Friday May 20th for  third  EFG.

Cultural Heritage

What is the cultural heritage of a country? 

 There are intangible aspects of a particular culture such as social values and traditions, customs and practices and  spiritual beliefs.  Also,  we inherit from past generations artistic expression, language and other aspects of human activity.

The cultural heritage also includes buildings, historic places, and  monuments that should be preserved for the future.

 Now, it is considered that natural heritage is also an important part of a culture and should also be preserved for future generations, including the countryside and its biodiversity.

In this unit’s project we will select a country in the world and research the different characteristics that contribute to forging the country’s identity and strengthen its cultural heritage.

Unit VI Exam

This unit we have been analyzing the subjunctive mood. Even though this structure has been used less and less over the years,  it is interesting to learn a new way to express urgency, command, request, advise.
We use the subjunctive a lot in Spanish and we've seen in conditional sentences and fixed phrases like:

God save the Queen. Here, we are not stating a fact but expressing our  wish .

Please click on GO to find an explanation as well as some subjunctive practice. Also, please review the vocabulary words on page 70 as well as the idioms and phrasal verbs for Unit VI.
go/  practice

Listen to the song, which is a good example of the subjunctive mood.

Grammar Exam Unit V.

 The Unit V grammar exam is just around the corner so here you will find some useful practice and information on the Reported Speech structure which will be included in the exam. Also please remember that you must study the vocabulary, as well as idioms and phrasal verbs in Unit V "Technology".

1. Reported Speech info.
2. Practice

Exams Unit IV

Please click  on "here"  for some useful practice for the English exam on Unit IV.
 Remember that the grade  for the II Bimester is an average of  units 3 and 4.

This practice will help you with the I wish/ If only pattern.here

Also please click  for some practice on conditional sentences type III here



Good luck ! and enjoy the Christmas holidays.
Classes will resume on January 10, 2011.

SUCCESS

Who is considered to be truly successful? That  who completes a course with honors, or that who is sure to have done his/her best?

What can be more important than self-satisfaction? Why do we do what we do? To be perceived by others ,or to have the true, deep certainty that we aimed at the best.

Another important factor is to have the least regrets possible. Regrets are disappointments for things we should or shouldn’t have done.

In the Unit IV of our book  have been familiarizing with  terms  used in the American system of education, which is different from ours, and will learn how to express wishes. Things we would like to be different in the present or future, and things we regret from the past.

What is the difference when we say:

I wish I had better grades. /  If only I had better grades.

Or

I wish I had studied more for the exam. /If only I had studied more for the exam.


In the next post there will be some practice on the grammar for this unit.