GOOD LUCK

You are unlikely to see this message because I suppose you must be revising for your "selectividad" exams but I just wanted to wish you GOOD LUCK.

DISCRIMINATION IN WORKPLACES

 

Discrimination exists everywhere; in school, in workplace… Even it is about white or black people, men or women,… In my opinion, discrimination seems to be indispensable for people because narcissism and individualism are the strongest points from human specie.

First of all, women have been discriminated for years and this nightmare hasn’t finished yet. In the past, they were considered to be like an incubation machine and a “mother”, so they were displaced from workplace. Nowadays, there are some people who think that women aren’t incompetent for certain jobs and, what’s more, there are some bosses who fire their pregnant employers. However, women aren’t the only ones who are discriminated in workplace, because there are lots of businessmen who hire illegal people and take advantage of them as they pay them a little salary and make them work for many hours.

To sum up, discrimination exists in workplace and it should be over soon, even though the expectations are negative as discrimination is a good way for bosses to make a profit of their businesses.   
Marta Seoane  2n BTX A

 (NOT CORRECTED YET)

I NEED MORE DESCRIPTIONS OF A PLACE

I suppose you are very busy preparing for the selectividad exam, but you mind posting a few more descriptions of a place? I need them for the Comenius Blog.
Thank you

Fornell's Bay

The place, that I will describe now is the Fornell's Bay, situated on north coast of Menorca, it's a peaceful place and a fishing region, this bay is one of the biggest harbors in Menorca, it's 5 km long and 2km wide.

Around the bay are small beaches, like Sargantane's island.
In my opinion it's one of the bests places in Menorca, I go every summer many times, sometimes I do some sport or just go for walk, other times I go with my friends and take a yacht and we do wake, an aquatic sport, Fornell's bay is the best place to do it because you have a lot of space, it has a deep sea and it's never dirty, the majority of times i've been it was crystal clear.

The Fornell's bay is a big zone where many people take advantage and do all types of aquatic sports, kayaking, diving, windsurfing, when you walk around the zone you can see so many persons practicing them.

They aren't many buildings, it's a natural place where you can enjoy the landscape, but it's a tourist place too, and if you go you can see several hotels.
The advantage is that once people go, they normally come back another time, and many people who live there know each other, beacause of that it's a peaceful place, if you want peace, Fornells is your place!

When you walk near the sea you can smell the typical smells of the place, like the salt, or fish, you don't hear anything, only the sounds of the sea and the murmur of the people in the distance.
Another fact to enhance Fornells is the excellent gastronomy that it has, all the restaurants are excellent quality: you can enjoy good food for a reasonable price.

In conclusion, people like Fornells for how peaceful it is, the great sights, the fabolous things you can do there, t'is an ideal place to go on holidays, you can't forget it once you go, you definitely will come back, come on, ¡Go for it!


Maria Girona Dorado 2nB

SMOKING BAN

Nowadays the new smoking law is being mentioned by everyone.  This law is causing a lot of headaches because neither all smokers nor some non-smokers like it.

In my opinion I’m one of those who think that this new law is stupid because the only thing that the government will achieve with it is  to harm bar as well as disco owners,  and all those who own places where you can’t smoke now. One of the reasons is that they are losing a lot of clients because if they can’t smoke inside a bar they won’t probably go to that bar. Another reason is that some years ago the Government passed a law with which bars had to prepare a special zone for smokers if they wanted to have smokers in their establishments. Therefore a lot of restaurants had to pay a lot of money to separate their restaurants into smokers or none smokers’ zones and now they see that all the money that they had spend has been wasted.

In conclusion, for me, this law is a law that threatens freedom and an insult to the business.

Ignasi Rovellada 2n BTX C

Communication technology

Communication technology is very important in your lives today. people are used to using this technology and they wouldn't know how to live without it.

But this communication has advantages and disadvantages, one advantage is that everyone can contact with everybody and this makes jobs easier.

In my opinion, there aren't many negative aspects, i don't think to be all day speaking on the moble is good, ever for your health, they broadcast waves which can harm your brain or cause some kind of cancer.

Dani García 2n A BTX

champs de mars garden and the eiffel tower

The "camp de Mars" garden and the Eiffel tower are situated in the 7th district in Paris,France. During the day this place is very beautiful because of the garden, and because those Parisian symbols are situated next to the Seine river. I heard people who said that the Eiffel tower is only a lot of iron and they say that it's very ugly... I don't think so, because when you are on the top you can see one of the most beautiful citiesto 300 meters high. You can see the river, the garden and a lot of things under your feet while you are drinking a glass of French champagne which cost 10 euros only one glass (and they only fill half).

The weather in Paris is more or less like in Spain. I went in March , so the weather was a little bit cold sometimes but in general we had fine weather. In this city, there are a lot of enormous gardens like Versailles, Champ de Mars, etc There are a lot of monuments, museums (louvre, Orsay,...) and important places which are always full of people.

The best moment to visit the Eiffel tower is, obviously at sunset and at night, because you can see a very beautiful dusk and all the city lights. Then , when you go down, you can see the tower lit too. Then, just in front you can buy cotton candy in a little Fair, which the place with this sweet smell. Also you can buy souvenirs for your family and cheaper than in shops, because just under the tower there are a lot of immigants who sell souvenirs. If you walk a bit more you go to a viewpoint, only a few minutes of the tower, where you can see the garden and the Eiffel tower perfectly, this viewpoint is ideal to take photos and buy more souvenirs. Paris is famous because it's a magic city, which a lot of people call ''the city of love'', full of monument , beautiful places and a very interesting history.

Maybe the french are not always very nice, but their city is one of the most beautiful , for that reason I think nobody should miss the oportunity of visit Paris and the huge Eiffel tower, a monument which every tourist should see.

Aroa Cortés 2nC batx

change eating habits

A lot of times people can't avoid eating snacks , fast food or unhealthy food because they like it, but we have to be concious that this type of food is very bad and dangerous for our body and health.

I'm not talking about eating only vegetables , I mean that wehave to get used eating healthy food, like vegetables, fish, meat, fruit, etc. and eat sweets , snacks or chocolate with less frequency. We only have to follow the food pyramid, in which we can see what is recomended to eat and how many times, it says that we have to eat mainly cereals, bread, pasta, vegetables, fruit, meat, milk... And sugar or snacks only sporadically.

Sometimes it's very difficult to follow this type of advices, but our body will thank us, because we will be more healthy and have confidence in ourselves.

Aroa Cortés 2nC batx

TV: COULD YOU BE WITHOUT IT?

The TV was a great invention which everybody likes. They didn’t abuse of it, and, for this reason in the past they didn’t have problems against this machine since it was an entertainment and a mass media. Nowadays it has changed because a lot of people spend many hours in front of the television.
 
Supporters of watching TV present three main arguments. Firstly, they think that TV is a fantastic way of entertainment, because if you don’t know what to do you can always turn on the television, lie down on the sofa, and watch different types of programs. Secondly, this machine offers you history, cooking, discovery programs and they have an educational purpose. Finally, the TV is an important mass media with which you can be aware of what’s going on around the world. It offers you a lot of news.
 
Opponents of watching too much TV give four counterarguments. Firstly, they say that television replaces interaction between people, and this is a big problem, because there are a lot of people who can’t have a long conversation. Secondly, they argue that there are a lot of programs which aren’t appropriate for children, and all of them must be prohibited at particular times. Finally, one of the most serious problems is that it’s addictive and causes procrastination for students.
 
To conclude, I think that TV is designed to make people passive and uncritical. In my opinion, people should watch less television and if they do, they have to watch programs which contribute to their education as well as comedies or science fiction films.

Laura Wenzel 2n BTX B

“ PROBLEMS OF WEIGHT AND FITNESS”

Personally, I’m in favour that people have to look after themselves. Nevertheless, this doesn’t involve that the society only get worried about their body and their figure. In my opinion, the majority of our society is too obsessed with problems of weight and fitness.
First of all, I think that it is very important to practice sports to be healthy, but there are some people who don’t control it, for example boys do a lot of exercise to be very strong and girls to be slim. As a result, the problem is that they only pay attention to their image. If people can’t control it, they will be ill. Since, they will end up an obsession and they won’t be able to stop it.
Secondly, it is important to mention that all programs and advertisements, which are broadcasting on TV, or pictures , that come out in magazines, have influence on our society as they show people who are beautiful and they have a perfect body. However, it is unreal because a lot of pictures are retouched.
To conclude, people don’t have to believe all the things that the TV or magazines show because if they want to be like the models they see on TV, they end up obsessed and they can’t live, because they are dissatisfied with their image.

Laura Wenzel 2n BTX B

The Spanish Monarchy

In Spain, There is a democratic monarchy where there is a president and a king. In Spain, some people like the king and the Queen but other people hates to monarchy.

The people like to monarchy want the king, because he is a Spanish institution and he is a political balance; He represents Spain in international places. Then, There are people who think that the monarchy is good for Spain.

Other people don't like the king because he has privileges of birth . This people think that the king is an useless thing. The government pays him a lot of money. In general, they think that he doesn't represent Spanish people and the nation.

In my opinion, I think that it is indifferent thing but he shouldn't receive so money. Nevertheless, it makes me angry to he receive so money for the privileges of birth.

Pau Cardona 2n BTX C  (NOT CORRECTED)

For and against: Bullfighting

Nowaday the bull is animal in Spain because it is used in a lot of festivities, such as bullfighting although a lot of people are against this activity. However, there are arguments for and against
bullfighting.

On the one hand, this is good for the country because it earns money with tourists coming to watch it. Also bullfighting is part of our culture and we want to continue with this tradition. In addition, bullfighting is an interesting entertaiment for people when they are on holiday.

On the other hand, this activity is cruel to bulls because the bullfighter has to kill the animals so as to win with honour. A lot of people don't like it and they express their disagrement in the bulling with placards and shouts.

In conclusion Bullfighting is a good option so as to visit our country to know out culture and it increases the money that we earn. In spite of th fact that they kill the bulls, it is important for our economy and we can preserve our culture with it.

People obsessed with weight

Nowadays people are obsessed with things such as weight, skins, clothes and more. Television spots have a powerful influence on them. Society recieves constant messages such as "you need a beatiful and strong body, you must go to a gym" or "You aren`t a fashion victim if you don't buy the new green thin Pepe jeans". Therefore I agree society is too obsessed with problems of weight and fitness.

Firtly, we can see a good example in eating disorders, especially in young girls, such as bulimia or anorexia. They have a bad obsession with food and Tv spots, where thin models are present new products are the truth problem. Secondly, people pay an intense course of gym or fitness to have less weight, but they start it and there could be two consequence: they start gym program but they don't go in their free time or they become obsessed and they eat less and lose too much weight and logically this ways are wrong.

Personally I believe people want to be well with themselves but they don't know a better way to do it.

Is out society too obsessed with problems of weight and fitness?

In my opinion our society is becoming more and more obsessed with weight and fitness, why?
Firstly, the biggest influence is the TV, become we are used to watching adverts where the actors and models are thin. when do you seen overweight presenters, actors or models? Never! Only when an advert is about a cream to reduce fat. therefore the TV makes us think that the perfect body is thin.
Furthermore, in the shop the mannequins have a standard size and all the clothes look fantastic on them. But mannequins are size 34 and they do not have any fat so if you are fat you cannot expect trousers will fit you well.
In conclusion, you must stay in shape but not obsessed with being perfect with a size 34.
Tània Vidal

Why people in general sleep less now than before?

In my opinion people in general sleep less now than before, there are several reasons why people sleep less.
One of the reasons is the tecnological advance, now there are more machines, which are invented to distract people, for example, most teenagers each evening talk between they with different interactive programes, wich we can find in the computers.
There are more machines to play with in our free time, like play stations, the majority of boys between 10 and 25 years old, spend more than 2 hours every day playing with the play station.
Another so common habit among students is to do their homework or study at the last moment, if you didn't study enough before the exam you have to study the night before the exam, spending the time that you would need to sleep.
Going out at night can be another reason, teenagers or university people like go out partying, when you go to university, you have a period of time, between one week and one month, when you can go out every night, after that, you don't go out ebery night but the partying time increases during these years.
I think this is very bad for us, because a person needs to sleep at least 8 hours every night to have a productive day, and this fact is very difficult to hide.
In conclusion, I think, that people can't change that habit, or it is too difficult, I recommend to sleep enough hours, I think it will be better for you.

Maria Girona Dorado 2nB

DID OSAMA BIN LANDEN DESERVE TO DIE?

Osama Bin Laden has been the most wanted terrorist ever. He was the leader of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda and he has been the protagonist of many terrorist attacks like the airplane crash against the Twin Towers.

In my opinion, I think he deserved to be killed. The pain and damage he had caused couldn’t be compensated for in any way, but his death was the only way to stop the frequency of his band’s terrorist attacks. But the fact that he is already dead makes it more difficult to answer many questions about the terrorist group.

To conclude, I think that it would have been better to trap him alive.

Hiten Lalwani  2n BTX A

DID OSAMA BIN LANDEN DESERVE TO DIE?

As most people know, Osama Bin Laden, head of Al Qaeda  and responsible for hundreds of deaths in terrorist attacks, such as those in New York and Madrid, was recently killed by an American armed forces unit after many years of searching.  There are, obviously, many different opinions about this killing from people all over the world.

On the one hand, there are people who are clearly glad, some even ecstatic, that this man is dead.  I would say that most Americans share this point of view, because either they have had family or friends killed in these tragic acts of terrorism or they are simply very patriotic and wanted the man responsible for all these deaths to get what he deserved.

On the other hand, there are people who don’t believe it was right to kill him.  In this group we can distinguish Bin Laden’s followers who, obviously, wanted to keep him alive, and people who, even though they don’t agree with the things he has done, don’t believe that he deserved to be killed.

Either way, Osama Bin Landen was a man who had committed horrible, criminal acts of terrorism and deserved to be punished in some shape or form.

Naomi Toomey 2n BTX C

IS OUR SOCIETY TOO OBSESSED WITH PROBLEMS OF WEIGHT AND FITNESS?

I think that in our society there are both extremes of this situation, as well as a middle ground, obviously.  There are people who are completely obsessed with their weight, others who totally neglect their health and fitness and finally, some people who have reached a healthy balance in their life.

The people who are obsessed with their weight are usually young adults and teenagers, not always with bad problems, and end up with eating disorders.  Then there are people who really do have big weight problems but refuse any kind of exercise and/ or a healthier diet.  They have very unfit lifestyles which can cause health problems.  The people with the best mentality, in my opinion, are the ones who are aware of their weight and fitness but are not obsessed, and do exercise and eat healthily but not over the top.

So, in conclusion, in our society there is a rather varied mix of obsession, neglect and perfect balance.

Naomi Toomey 2n BTX C

TEENAGERS

 Nowadays, some people think that teenagers are too immature and unprepared for grown-up life. Others believe that it is false.

I think that it depends on the circumstances. Some, teenagers, aren't prepared to start adulthood. These teenagers are used to having childish attitudes and are pauperied by their parents. On the other hand there are some teenagers who are really prepared to live alone in a flat. There are many teenagers who have only drink, steal o commit crimes.

In conclusion, I think that all teenagers are not equal. Some are lost cases and can never live alone, but others are really prepared to live alone and even create a family.

RAFA BLANCO FLORIT 2ºN BATXILLER A

STRESS

Stress is a symptom which is usual in people. Teenagers may have stress when they start school, but, it isn’t a rule. I think that adolescents start to have the symptoms of stress in different situations.

In my view, teenagers can start being stressed when they have family problems, for example, if the parents are separated, the adolescents bear reberberation. And, consequently, it is a symptom which can start stress. However, also, there are adolescents who don’t worry about family problems, but, finally, they finis accept their damage.

Furthermore, I think that the other reason for the teenagers suffer stress is society. Now a days, our society is wicked because of bad development. Therefore, there are adolescents who suffer hounding, they don’t say anything because they think that they can’t get over it. This is another symptom of stress.

Finally, I think that teenagers begin to have stress for a lot of reasons. But they have to fight it because it can exceed them. Personally, I have had stress an a lot of different situations, and I think that each person exceed the stress in different ways.

Sara Bagur 2n A BTX

BINGE DRINKING

“Botellon” in Spain is an actual and controversial issue. It consists of drinking in the streets or parks. This practise is prohibited by the Spanish government; however, the law isn’t obeyed.

The advantages of “botellon” are obvious. On the one hand, Spaniards like going out at night, but the alcoholic drinks that pubs and clubs serve are very expensive, for this reason, teens prefer getting drunk in the street. On the other hand, despite “botellon” is prohibited, a lot of teens do it and consequently, you can meet people.

Nevertheless, there are more arguments against. If you drink in the street or parks, you can be fined by police, however when there are a lot of people drinking, the police can’t do anything. Another argument against is that when teens finish drinking, they don’t pick up the rubbish, for this reason neighbours complain. The owners of pubs and clubs are also complaining because people don’t consume their alcoholic drinks.

In my opinion, I’m a teenager and I also think that alcohol drinks are very expensive, for this reason, I think that the best solution is to crate a special area where teens can drink.

Pol Frau Vendrell 2ºC

SMOKING BAN

I think that smoking in public places should not be banned, especially in bars and restaurants. That decision should be the job of the restaurant proprietor, who should decide if he allows or not smoking in his business. I think that for two important reasons:

Firstly, I think that nobody is required to go to a place where smoking is permitted, so if smoke is annoying for you, you don’t have to go to that place.

On the other hand, I think that there are many places where smoking should be banned, like hospitals, banks, parks and another public places where always there’s a child.

Secondly, with the economic crisis, ban smoking will decrease the money that owner’s bar collect, because the people will go to the bar less time than before.

In conclusion, personally I think that if this law shouldn’t be approved because everyone is free to go anywhere, and anyone is forced to go to a smokers places.

Marc Zubia 2n B BTX

Why do you think people in general sleep less now than before?

Nowadays, people sleep less than years ago and we must sleep seven or eight hours per night if we want to protect our health.

On the one hand, there are some reasons related to our past. One of the reasons is that in the past, people worked more than now and for this reason they were more tired. Another reason is that now, we often work until late and as a result we sleep less.

On the other hand, at present we have modern technology such as televisions, radios, computers which entertain us. In addition, today we have electrical lighting and for this reason we usually go to bed when we want to. Also, our present society goes out and does new activities as well as going to parties, going on holiday…

In conclusion, I think that people sleep less than in the past and it is worst because we should protect our health, however, we do more activities than before and we are not so bored as years ago.

Pol Frau Vendrell  2 º BATX C.

MAHÓN HARBOUR

Mahón Harbour is one of the biggest natural ports in the Mediterranean sea. It’s situated on the small island of Menorca, in Spain. It’s one of my favourite places in Menorca.

Mahón Harbour is on the east coast of the island, next to the town of Mahón. It has beautiful clear waters, where you can have a relaxing swim in one of the many coves which are situated along the harbour. Very close to were we swim, there are a lot of restaurants where you can eat some of the typical food of the island such as fresh fish, shell-fish and fresh vegetables from the island.

If you like history, you can visit the English fortress of Sant Felip, where you can remember the battles of the past between English, French and Spanish armies. Near to Sant Felip, there is an island which in the past was used as a quarantine hospital, called Lazareto.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a relaxing place in the Mediterranean, Menorca is the place that you have to visit.

Marc Zubia 2n BTX B

IS OUR SOCIETY TOO OBSESSED WITH PROBLEMS OF WEIGHT AND FITNESS?

Nowadays there is a discussion of the body image because TV, newspapers, mannequins give us a bad image of our body, they show us skinny models which makes everybody want to be like them. However, our society doesn’t think that it may cause some health problems.

Television, newspapers have created a skinny body image. As a result, society is too obsessed with problems of weight as well as fitness. Despite being warned by the government, the society doesn’t want to hear about the problems that it could cause such as anorexia, bulimia… Our Society is too obsessed with weight, so we have to change our mind and we don’t have to think about this body image so much, because there are worse things than our weight. And if you think about your weight so much, you might have depression or you could have some diseases due to losing too much weight.

In conclusion, our society is too obsessed with problems of weight because of the body image that has been created. It also can cause some diseases such as anorexia. So, the Government has to try to ban this body image.

Raúl Cardona 2n BTX C

Is our society too obsessed with problems of weight and fitness?

Our society is obsessed with losing weight. It’s important to do exercise and eat healthily; the problem is when people get a false image of beauty.

The main problem is that fashion models require sizes which are too small. In addition, magazines are full of girls that aren’t real because they use photoshop, with which they remove facial such as moles and wrinkles. They also make them thinner. Then, the girls end up with these perfect images in their minds, and begin to find imperfections in a normal body.

This can be dangerous because there are girls who become obsessed and take extreme measures in order to get that body, like stop eating or throw up food. These diseases are very serious and it’s important they become aware of themselves so as not to make this mistake. The solution is to normalize the situation to see the beauty in imperfections.

In conclusion, people have to be aware of what their body is like and what they need to be healthy and beautiful, and keep in mind that true girls have curves. It’s very important to take care and love oneself.

Claudia Ferrer Florit 2n B Batx.

For and against the use of computers

Some people believe that the increase of the dependency on computers is a bad thing. However many people disagree with this opinion.

They think there are many advantages to computers. Computers make things easier for people. You can learn because there are excellent programs about photography or architecture, for example. Your work can be presented more professionally and you can find information quickly. Furthermore, you can compare prices and buy whatever you want. It’s easier and cheaper. What’s more, you can talk with people all over the world and send photographs without cost, therefore it’s cheaper than speaking on the telephone.

On the other hand, people can get used to talking online and forget how to interact face to face. In addition to this, on chat sites you don’t see the person, so you can only read the messages but not the other person’s body language. Computers can be very addictive and it’s bad for your eyes and your posture. Moreover, people become lazy about checking information and some people post incorrect things. Another thing against computers is that things like pornography are available for anybody to see and it’s very difficult to control these sites.

In my opinion, the use of computers has more advantages than things against but it’s important that we must avoid the abuse. We must know the balance and build the facilities and be careful.

Fornells

Fornells is a village located in a bay in the north of the Balearic island of Menorca, Spain, and it wants to be the ninth municipality of Menorca. Fornells is estimated to have a population of about 1000 people, this number increases in the summer because of the hight level of tourism.

Fornells is the gastronomic capital of the island of Menorca. It has the best quality products from the sea of the Balearic islands. Fornells Bay is deep, measuring 5 kilometres long and 2 kilometres wide. The narrow entrance regulates the force of the open sea. Finally we can say that "La caldereta de langosta" is the dish that has given most popularity to this village. The most popular restaurant of this place is a restaurant called "Es cranc pelut".

In conlusion, Fornells is a place I would recommend you because it is a place where you can see a lot of historic monuments that can teach you a lot of things about the history of Menorca.

Diego Atienza Florit 2nB.

PLASTIC SURGERY

Plastic surgery.

Over the centuries women have tried to be as beautiful as they could. Always women have given more importance to their body than men. The technology has advanced and many women have her body operated by plastic surgery in order to improve their self-esteem.

Some people prefer have his body operated because actually our society have given many importance to the physic, furthermore media only show us actors and singers who are always on the spot light and on the front pages of magazines and newspapers, for that reason many people would like to be as them.
Other people think that these operations are a waste of time and over time it could cause bad consequences for our body. Moreover medical clinics are making huge amounts of money helping people get the looks they had always dreamt at. But many times this plastic surgery becomes and obsession and many people come back to these medicals clinics to operate again other part of their body.

In my opinion plastic surgery is a waste of time, unless somebody has an accident or a similar fact that has their body disfigured. We have to accept us because this operations many times includes dangerous risks which could have consequences during our life.



Pilar de Olives,2n batxillerat B

POST YOUR ESSAYS!

I remind you to post your essays before Friday 20th since it's a compulsory activity and part of your final mark.  Don't worry, it's easy and won't take you long.

As soon as I finish correcting your exams, I'll post a list of the mistakes you make in your comments or send you an e-mail.

See you on Friday and good luck in your exams!.

By the way, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOMEBODY means APROVECHARSE DE ALGUIEN.

RETAKING EXAM

You'll find a list of the students who have to do the retaking exam in the moodle.

Pace of modern life

In my opinion the pace of modern life is bad for us. there are several reasons for this. This reasons are: Tv, hobbies, cook...

First, we work between seven and eight hours each day. This doesn't allow us much time do all our hobbies. This doesn' allow us much time do all our hobbies. For example, we want to go to the gym, practise some sports and go to the disco at the weekend. Furthermore, there are several reasons why we don't get enough sleep. The main reason is the amount of time that we spend watching tv. Because of this lack of time when we arrive home we don't want to cook, for this reason we buy fast food and pre-cooked food.

In conclusion the pace of modern life doesn't allow a relaxing life. For this nowadays people have health problems.

Dani gomila

Summer in Menorca

Menorca, is an island which has beautiful beaches and good weather. For this reason, it is a place which is visited by many people in summer. However, Menorca also has a lack of night activities, has fewer night activities than other places.

The island, is a beautiful place to go in summer, its beaches and traditional festivals are very beautiful. Menorca is also a peaceful island where there isn't much noise.

On the other hand, Menorca hasn't enough night activities for teenagers. Teenagers, don't know what to do sometimes on the island. This is the reason why less and less tourists come to the Island.

In short, Menorca is a good place for tuists who want to go to the beach. But this island has lack of activities for teenagers.

Dani gomila

THE DEATH PENALTY

The rise of the criminality in the world is a topic about which the mass media is talking all the time time because some states of the world have reinstituted the death penalty. So that’s causing lots of arguments and problems in them.

But, is the death penalty a good choice, or not?

On the one hand, some people see it as positive. Firstly, because the death penalty gives tranquility to the families of the victim who suffered so much. Moreover, it erases the possibilities that the criminal will kill again, so, the justice is better served. In addition, DNA testing and other methods of modern crime scene science can now effectively eliminate almost all uncertainty as to a person's guilt or innocence, so it’s almost impossible that the government can send an innocent person to death.

On the other hand, the death penalty could be seen as cruel and unusual because it is against the Bill of Rights. The most important reason why people are against it, is because there is a possibility that innocent men and women may be put to death, and it doesn't bring the victim back to life. Furthermore, the costs to taxpayers of the death penalty is several times more expensive than that of keeping someone in prison for life, then the prisoner's family must suffer as the victim’s family from seeing their son or husband put to death by the state.

In conclusion, there are more arguments against the Capital Punishment, the reason is very clear: why kill people to show killing is wrong? It’s incoherent as I see it. So, it’s more important that the government spends money on criminal research and security than erase the criminals of the map using large judicial procedures.

BIEL MORRO BENEJAM 2n BATX - A

MAHON HARBOUR

I recommend visiting the harbour of Mahón because it's the second largest natural port in Europe ,almost 6 km long, and it's a harbour every tourist should see. It's situated in the centre of the western Mediterranean, and there have been many conquests and battles. Currently, it has a tourist function (many cruisers arrive throughout the year) but it also has an industrial one (loading and unloading of materials).

Menorca has a rich history: there were many invasions because it's situated in a strategic place for military and dealers. Menorca has a good temperature throughout the year with a typical Mediterranean climate: summers are hot and winters are mild and wet. The typical cold wind is what we call “vent de Tramuntana”. The typical Menorcan species are: “sargantanes” (lizards), red cows and Menorcan horses.

In the harbour there are restaurants, bars, discos, ice cream parlours, a chemist and even a casino and it's only two minutes from the town center! What I like about it is that normally, in summer there is a lot of activity: you can see families going for a walk, foreign people dining in restaurants, people riding bikes...

In short, I recommend this tour because it's very nice. Moreover, you can go up the steps of “Ses Voltes” from where you have wonderful views of Mahon harbour which I really like.

                       

                                                                     Paula Gómez de Tejada 2n BTX B

SON BOU

Son Bou is located on the south coast of the island of Menorca, near Alaior. I have chosen Son Bou because it is one of the most popular places on the island and because it has one of the most fabulous beaches of the Balearic islands.   In Son Bou, you can find everything: beach, bowling, water slides, restaurants, shops, discos and a former reservoir.

In general, Son Bou beach is 4 km long and has a campsite beside the pines which are  about 20 m from the center of the beach. As you go down to the beach, you can see lots of shops and restaurants. The hotels are on your left and on your right you can see lots of villas and water slides.

The climate varies depending on whether it is summer or winter, in summer the sun shines during most days, and in winter, it is very cold with very strong winds. The most modern building is the bowling alley, located next to the shops, while the oldest thing is the prehistoric basilica which you can see at the eastern end of the beach.

In Son Bou, during the summer, you only hear the tourists speak or screams coming from the beach, but during the winter you don’t hear anything because there is absolutely peace and quiet. And if you're near the beach, you can smell the sea and the dead algae, which are called "posidonia". In summer, you can spend all day on the beach , in the water slides, in the bowling alley, eating at the buffets that offer the hotels or restaurants there, and then at night, visiting nightclubs or bars, which are always full (but only in summer).

In conclusion, Son Bou is one of the best beaches on the island, and that is why, and for all the activities offered in the summer, tourists and the inhabitants of Menorca love it. In my opinion, the best place on the beach and surrounding area is the beach itself and the bowling alley if you like bowling.  In short, I would recommend this beach to everyone who comes to the island.

                                                                                                   Sergio Toledo 2n BTX B

SANT CLIMENT

Sant Climent is a small village in Menorca which is only five minutes from Maó. It's not as busy as Maó, therefore, it's extremely picturesque. I'm going to describe this town during the “fiestas”, which are celebrated in a different town every week in summer, but I think that the “fiesta de Sant Climent” is the best.

The town is small but very pretty, it has a yellow and white church. This is a building every tourist should see. The most attractive place for me is the square, near the church, where the “Jaleo” is celebrated.

The “Jaleo” is a typical meeting of black Minorcan horses and their riders. They jump around the square to the sound of specific music.


When you are there you can see people who are dancing, drinking “pomada” (an alcoholic drink, a mixture of Minorcan gin with lemonade) and you can also hear the music band playing the “Jaleo”. You can watch the Jaleo or, if you are brave enough, you can make the horses jump. It’s the perfect moment to meet many people and have fun.


In conclusion, I recommend a visit to this town in summer , especially during its “fiestas”, because it's amazing and it's an experience that you can't miss.


Natàlia Mercadal Llambias 2n BTX A

PREGONDA

I will describe a special place for me: Pregonda. It is a beach in Es Mercadal, in Menorca. I like to be there because it is very relaxing, like a paradise. When you are there, you can forget everything and be happy with all the nature around you. It is the most beautiful and peaceful place you could ever see in the world.

To arrive at this beach, you have to leave your car at a previous beach called Binimel·là. You have to walk for about twenty minutes until you arrive at Pregondó which is very close to Pregonda. To get to Pregonda from Pregondó you have to walk for about five more minutes. Walking is worth it when you arrive there but you can also get there by bike.

This beach has some little islands in front. The sand is thick and depending on where you are, it can be a little bit reddish. There are also three houses and one of them is camouflaged by the surrounding  rocks.

For me, the best season to visit is in winter. I occasionally go there when I want to feel free, as it was my own place. It is extremely quiet and completely deserted. You can smell the happiness and feel how time stops.

To conclude, if I were you and if I had the chance, I would definitely go there and have a rest forgetting the world.

                                                                             Sara Ortego Huguet 2n BTX A

COVA D'EN XOROI

Menorca is the island where I live and, where you can find many delightful places, like the place which I am going to describe to you. This spectacular place is a cave called Cova de’n Xoroi situated in the municipality of Alayor on the south coast of Menorca in the middle of a cliff in Cala en Porter, which is a popular tourist resort. In my opinion, it is the best place on the island.

According to legend, there is an interesting story that I will summarize for you. One day a Moorish man appeared on the coasts of Menorca, but nobody knows how. Perhaps he was the only survivor from some shipwreck and took refuge in the cave. Xoroi, which is the Moorish man’s name, was in love with a girl who lived in the countryside. Xoroi kidnapped her when she was about to marry. Nothing was known about the missing girl. But one day it snowed on the island and some footprints appeared and betrayed him. Armed men followed the footprints which led to a cave and they found a man, a woman and three children, fruit of their love. Xoroi and his oldest son threw themselves into the sea, the sea which had brought him and then taken him away.

Cova de’n Xoroi is a place where you can find a chill atmosphere during the day and party atmosphere at night. It is open from early in the morning until dawn. During the summer, every afternoon, people can enjoy the ‘’ambient session’’ from 18.00 in the evening and then at eleven Cova d’en Xoroi becomes a disco with international DJs. There are many parties at night, Ambient live, Dolce Vita, Freestyle, Ibizabla, We love 80’s, Hippychic party and so on, but the most popular one is the foam party.

In this fascinating place in the middle of the cliff, just above the sea you can watch the sunset perfectly from the large terrace. At night you may have to wear a cardigan, as its privileged position by the sea means that when strong winds blow the cold is quite uncomfortable, particularly in the foam party.

This is a place which is different from the other places that you can visit because it adapts to the shape of the rocks along the cliff to make it a fabulous place where you can relax in the afternoon and you can dance like a mad person at night. Cova de’n Xoroi has some bars inside with comfortable chairs and tables. Sometimes it is like being in the Caribbean with the spectacular sunshades.

In conlusion, Cova de’n Xoroi is my favorite place in Menorca. And you shouldn’t forget the camera or you will miss the glorious views.                        

                                                                            Carolina García Belmonte 2n BTX B

PLASTIC SURGERY

Nowadays a lot of people decide to improve their body with plastic surgery. Moreover people want to be prettier or more handsome and, sometimes, be younger. Now, with the improvement of plastic surgery, it’s possible. But there are some risks too.

Supporters of plastic surgery present four main arguments. In the first place they think that it’s very important to be proud of your own body. If you don’t like your body, you will be depressed and won’t enjoy life. Secondly, we have the best hospitals in Spain. Consequently, plastic surgery is safer than most people think. Another reason is that plastic surgery is important and necessary when somebody has had an accident and needs it. Finally they say that with her or his body they can do whatever they want.

Opponents of plastic surgery offer four counterarguments. Firstly they think that personality is more important than appearance. Secondly, plastic surgery is sometimes dangerous; a lot of people have died because of it. A person’s life is more important than to be prettier or more handsome. Another reason is that plastic surgery is addictive, when you have improved a part of your body you want to do the same with the rest of it, you want to be perfect. Finally it’s very expensive, you have to spend a lot of money, which you can do a lot of more necessary things with, like buy a house.

On balance, I’m not in favour of plastic surgery because I think it’s more important to be proud of your personality, it’s good to be different and natural. In addition, you can be disappointed with the results of plastic surgery or die.


Rafa Fernández García 2n BTX C

THE BOLOGNA PLAN

The Bologna’s plan has been well-estabilished in Spain this year although it began in 1999 in the EU. Its objective is standardizing university studies and that students do the job themselves. But, there are a lot of opinions which are for and against.

In my opinion, there are things which I’m not for. For example, Bologna’s plan has made ‘top’ marks go up because there is more demand of it. Therefore, the Bologna’s plan promotes doing university studies with more autonomy. Another thing that I think which isn’t correctly is that law isn’t standardizing due to economy and level, because universities are cheaper in other countries than Spain.

However, there are thing which I think to be correct. For example, the Bologna’s plan helps students to find a job and the university studies are less difficult than years ago. For these reasons, I think that it can improve the social status is Spain. From my point of view, selectivitat text is easier than years ago because the student can do more exams to get better marks.

Consequently, the Bolonia’s planhas things for and against, however I suppose that it will be a good law for Spaniards.

Sara Bagur 2n BTX A

THE SMOKING BAN IN SPAIN

The new law against smoking in Spain has been quite discussed. Some people think that it is excessive and other people say it’s OK. Obviously, people who are against the law smoke. I don’t smoke, but I think that the smoking ban is too tough.

I don’t like people who smoke and throw you the polluted air but I also think that the decision of smoking should be voluntary. It’s also a contradiction because, for example: smoking is not allowed in bars but you can buy cigarettes there. Moreover, it seems to me that banning smoking in bars, restaurants and other places like parks and the surroundings of schools are too many places to prohibit smoking. Despite the fact that not many years ago bars were forced to have isolated areas in order not to annoy non-smokers, now all the money they had spent has been wasted with no profit.

The way I see it, this law won’t stop the increasing number of smokers; if the government really wants to stop smoking it should make Spaniards aware of the risks of smoking or prohibit the sale of tobacco. But I don’t think that the government wants to stop the number of smokers in Spain because it has great benefits from cigarettes’ taxes. Finally, I think that this law is nonsense and the number of smokers in Spain won’t decrease because of it.

Sara Ortego Huguet 2ºA

SHOULD CARS CIRCULATE IN CITY CENTRES?

Recently, some governments have considered a law that bans cars in city centers. This law has generated a debate.

On the one hand, there are the people who are for this new law. They say that cars produce a lot of pollution in city centers, especially in the jams. Cities would be cleaner without pollution and the health of the population who live in this city would be better. Furthermore, moving in the city would be safer. And the people who live in the city would have a better life, without noise, jams or pollution.

On the other hand, there are people who think that this law is bad, because it will be more difficult and slower to move in big cities, because everyone would have to use the public service, which is set by a timetable, so the people couldn’t move whenever they wanted. Furthermore, public services use stations, which makes it difficult for people to go to areas which are far from these stations, especially for disabled people.

In conclusion, this law has advantages like cleaner cities, but it has a very big disadvantage, it would make it more difficult to move in big cities if cars couldn’t circulate in them.

TV: COULD YOU BE WITHOUT IT?

The TV was a great invention which everybody likes. They didn’t abuse of it, and, for this reason in the past they didn’t have problems against this machine since it was an entertainment and a mass media. Nowadays it has changed because a lot of people spend many hours in front of the television.

Supporters of watching TV present three main arguments. Firstly, they think that TV is a fantastic way of entertainment, because if you don’t know what to do you can always turn on the television, lie down on the sofa, and watch different types of programs. Secondly, this machine offers you history, cooking, discovery programs and they have an educational purpose. Finally, the TV is an important mass media with which you can be aware of what’s going on around the world. It offers you a lot of news.

Opponents of watching too much TV give four counterarguments. Firstly, they say that television replaces interaction between people, and this is a big problem, because there are a lot of people who can’t have a long conversation. Secondly, they argue that there are a lot of programs which aren’t appropriate for children, and all of them must be prohibited at particular times. Finally, one of the most serious problems is that it’s addictive and causes procrastination for students.

To conclude, I think that TV is designed to make people passive and uncritical. In my opinion, people should watch less television and if they do, they have to watch programs which contribute to their education as well as comedies or science fiction films.

THE SMOKING BAN IN SPAIN

The new law against smoking in Spain has been quite discussed. Some people think that it is excessive and other people say it’s OK. Obviously, people who are against the law smoke. I don’t smoke, but I think that the smoking ban is too tough.

I don’t like people who smoke and throw you the polluted air but I also think that the decision of smoking should be voluntary. It’s also a contradiction because, for example: smoking is not allowed in bars but you can buy cigarettes there. Moreover, it seems to me that banning smoking in bars, restaurants and other places like parks and the surroundings of schools are too many places to prohibit smoking. Despite the fact that not many years ago bars were forced to have isolated areas in order not to annoy non-smokers, now all the money they had spent has been wasted with no profit.

The way I see it, this law won’t stop the increasing number of smokers; if the government really wants to stop smoking it should make Spaniards aware of the risks of smoking or prohibit the sale of tobacco. But I don’t think that the government wants to stop the number of smokers in Spain because it has great benefits from cigarettes’ taxes. Finally, I think that this law is nonsense and the number of smokers in Spain won’t decrease because of it.

Sara Ortego Huguet 2ºA