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Showing posts with label READING. Show all posts
Showing posts with label READING. Show all posts
Sunday, 29 November 2020
Sunday, 20 October 2019
Monday, 2 September 2019
Tuesday, 19 December 2017
Wednesday, 13 September 2017
DEALING WITH BACK-TO-SCHOOL STRESS (FROM VOA LEARNING ENGLISH)
Dealing with Back-to-School
Stress
Shopping for
school supplies has become one of the stressful activities of the new school
year.
Dealing with Back-to-School Stress
FOR AUDIO OF THIS ARTICLE CLICK ON BELOW LINK:
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
It is back-to-school time in the United States, which for many is bittersweet.
The bitter part is for saying goodbye to carefree, unscheduled summer
days. The sweet part is saying hello to a new school year and school
friends.
This exciting time is filled with smells of new books, paper and
pencils. Children might dress in a new set of clothes and wear new shoes. And
of course there are the first-day-of-school pictures that parents share with
family and friends.
Back-to-school
pictures are a tradition. Felix, a 9-year-old boy, starts his first day of 5th
grade at a Chinese immersion school in Washington, D.C.
However, going back to school can also be a stressful time for children and
families. Everyone must make the transition from easy summer life to routines,
schedules and homework.
Families might also stress about spending extra money for a new school
year. Parents often need to pay school fees or to buy new school clothes,
sports equipment, musical instruments and school supplies. When parents are
stressed, children feel the tension.
What stresses out children in the U.S.?
Back-to-school stress is different for different ages. Younger children may
feel scared to leave their families. Making new friends and dealing with bullying
can also cause stress for students. Older students may stress about their
appearance, grades and getting into college.
With teenagers in the United States, stress is a serious and growing
problem. A 2013 survey by the American Psychological Association found that
teens in the U.S. are now as stressed as adults.
A high percentage of the teens surveyed say they are stressed about:
- school (83%)
- getting into a good college or deciding what to do after high school (69%)
- and financial concerns for their family (65%)
Two years ago, Danielle Lanteri began going to high school. It is a private
Catholic school that she attends on a scholarship. She said the demands of the
scholarship keep her very busy…and stressed.
“What stresses me out most at this point in my life will have to be the
amount of work that I get from my teachers and the expectation that I am
supposed to, that I have. With my scholarship for high school, I’m expected to
be on a sport, participate in clubs, get an above 100 average in all my
classes. And I feel that it’s a little impossible. Very few people end up
keeping this scholarship because it’s just too hard to do everything.”
Helping stressed out children
However, parents, teachers and children can all help to make the transition
back to school easier.
Lori Bambina has been a teacher for over 20 years. She currently teaches
first grade in Brooklyn, New York at Public School 229. Her students are 5- and
6-years-old.
Routines and knowing what to expect, or predictability, help to reduce stress in
children, says Ms. Bambina. So, she focuses on the class routine during the
start of the new school year.
“Well, for the students, I have my classroom set up with a very clear
system. So, I will introduce the system. Then I will revisit the system because
at this young age they enjoy structure and predictability. And that routine is
very comforting and will not cause them stress if they know exactly where
things are located and what type of behavior is expected of them. So, that
really reduces the stress and the anxiety because they have their own comfort
level now.”
Whether you are in first grade or 10th grade, knowing the teachers and what
they expect is a good way to reduce stress.
Danielle
sends a photo to us from New York City showing her back-to-school style.
The "unknown" can be
stressful
At her new high school, Danielle did not know her teachers. She did not
know the best way to build relationships with them. Also, the teachers did not
know her learning style.
All of these unknowns caused Danielle a lot of stress.
“It was the not knowing the teachers. They didn’t know me; so they don't
know how I work. That stressed me out. I didn’t know what type of relationship
I should have with my teacher. And to cut down the stress, I will email my
teachers if I have a problem and try to, like, get to know them better.”
Knowing what a teacher wants in the classroom is a good way to cut down on
stress.
But there are things you can do in the home, too.
Mary Anne Aidala began teaching in the New York school system in 1962. She
retired 39 years later, in 2001. She is an award-winning teacher and is also
the mother of Lori Bambina, the teacher we heard from earlier.
Ms. Aidala advises parents to focus on the basics – get enough sleep, eat
healthy foods, and turn off electronics before bedtime.
“Well, the first thing they (parents) have to do is to get them (children)
on a schedule of sleep habits. And they should also make sure they have a good
breakfast to keep their brains alert. And maybe before they go to sleep every
night they should start to read them a story or do something educational; so,
they can start to reactivate their brains into using them.”
The American Psychological Association makes the same suggestions on its
website. They add that getting organized is also very important – for parents,
children and teachers. For example, parents should keep their wallets and car
keys in the same place. This way they do not have to look for them during a
busy morning.
And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report.
I’m Alice Bryant.
If you are a student, teacher or parent, how do you reduce your stress
during back-to-school time? Let us know in the Comments Section.
Anna Matteo wrote this report with additional material from the American
Psychological Association. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.
Words in This Story
bittersweet – adj. combining sadness and happiness
transition – v. to make a change from one state, place, or condition to
another; n. a change from one state or condition to another
stress - v. to feel very worried or anxious about something
stress - n. s state of mental worry caused by problems in your life
routine – n. a regular way of doing things in a particular order
bullying - n. abuse of someone by stronger, more powerful individuals
SOURCE: learningenglish.voanews.com
Saturday, 13 May 2017
TRUCOS PARA LA CORRECTA PRONUNCIACIÓN DE PALABRAS EN INGLÉS (FOR SPANISH SPEAKERS)
TO COPY AND PRINT CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK:
Thursday, 11 May 2017
A READING COMPREHENSION EXERCISE: PHONE CHAT
Do you like spending time with your mates? How do you
organise a night out? Look at the phone chat and do the exercises to improve
your reading skills.
A TRAVÉS DE: learningenglishteens.org
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO PRACTICE WITH ONLINE EXERCISES ON THIS TEXT (B1 LEVEL):
FOR MORE READING COMPREHENSION EXERCISES (ALL LEVELS) FROM BRITISH COUNCIL ENGLISH LEARNING CLICK HERE:
Thursday, 16 February 2017
WRITING MYSTERY STORIES: 10 MYSTERY STORY IDEAS TO FOSTER YOUR IMAGINATION
CREATED BY VALANGLIA
STORY 1:
Wealthy, unmarried Anne Lamont is murdered, and she
leaves her entire fortune to a man she met two weeks before, putting suspicion
squarely on him. Detective Arnold thinks the man is innocent. He has a week to
make his case before this goes before a jury. But when he digs into Anne’s
background, he finds the sweet old matron wasn’t at all what she seemed. (To be continued by you).
STORY 2:
A headless corpse is found in a freshly-dug grave in Arkansas.
The local police chief, Arley Socket, has never had to deal with more than
missing gas cans and treed cats. His exploration of this weird murder digs up a
mystery older than the 100-year-old town of Jericho that harkens all the way
back to a European blood-feud. (To
be continued by you).
STORY 3:
Someone is murdering homeless people in Phoenix,
Arizona. Detective Sally Fortnight is determined to get to the bottom of it…
but what she uncovers may be more deadly than she could ever guess. (To be continued by you).
STORY 4:
It is the Cold War era. Private Eye Charles Nick
searches for a missing cryptanalyst, all the while dodging an obsessed FBI
agent who thinks Nick is a communist spy. The cryptanalyst, by the way, went
missing for a good reason: he might have cracked the latest Russian spy code,
and he’s running for his life. (To
be continued by you).
STORY 5:
1850’s England: elderly Doris and her six young wards
are caught in a storm and forced to ask for shelter at an enormous manor deep
in the English countryside. But all is not well in this home, and before
long, Doris faces a bizarre problem: the manor’s lord, Sir Geoffrey, claims his
estranged wife Alice is going to murder him that evening. Alice, meanwhile,
claims that Geoffrey is going to murder her. After dinner, both are
found dead, in the library, seated as if having a rational discussion, but dead
as mice. There is no obvious murder weapon, and quite possibly, the murderer is
loose in the manor. Doris is no detective, but she might as well figure this
out. Given that storm, help won’t be coming until it’s too late. (To be continued by you).
STORY 6:
Twelve-year-old Alexandra is a leader. She
runs her school’s newspaper, manages three after-school clubs (the book club,
the fencing club, and the junior stamp-collector club), and doesn’t have time
for nonsense. Which is why when she sees a man dressed all in black carrying a
manilla folder as he climbs out of her principal’s window, her determination to
get to the bottom of it knows no bounds. Look out, data-thief. Here comes
Alexandra! (To be continued by
you).
STORY 7:
David is a senior software engineer for a major tech
company, and he spends most days knee-deep in other people’s databases, trying
to figure out what they did wrong. One day, he happens across a piece of
malicious code designed to steal financial information. He reports it and
deletes it, but he comes across that same code again—in the database of a
completely different company. He finds it again; and again. And the fifth time
around, his manager drops a hint that the higher-ups think he’s the
best person to figure out who’s planting it. Undercover, they send him to each
of the company’s data centers: one in London, one in Boston, one in Dallas, and
one in Seattle. It’s going to be his job—socially anxious as he is—to interview
everyone and find out who’s planting that code and why. (To be continued by you).
STORY 8:
General March hires Detective Thomas to try to find
the person who’s been blackmailing March for the past twenty years. Thomas
tracks the miscreant down, but finds that the man behind the threats has been
dead for the past ten years. So who’s carrying on the blackmailing? And is the
secret that’s held March prisoner this long something that should stay a secret? (To be continued by you).
STORY 9:
Defense attorney Bob Larson enjoys his job. He likes
justice; he likes being right. Usually, he thinks right and wrong are really
easy to spot. Then he ends up representing a young Navy Seal who shot and
killed an elderly woman—and claims it was in self-defense. Who’s really
the bad guy?
STORY 10:
Sandra is a mystery-lover. She sees mysteries and
hidden conspiracies everywhere they aren’t, and her sister Carrie
laughs this off as a silly quirk… until Carrie is framed for the murder of the
man in the next apartment. Carrie’s DNA is somehow all over the place, though
she swears she’s never even been in that apartment before. No one thinks Carrie
is innocent but Sandra… and she has a limited amount of time to prove her
sister is innocent. (To be continued by you).
Monday, 13 February 2017
Friday, 3 February 2017
Tuesday, 17 January 2017
Thursday, 12 January 2017
WHEN TO AVOID SAYING "SORRY"
A Cure for “I’m Sorry” Syndrome
ENCONTRADO EN: www.genial.guru
Did you ever notice that some people seem to be in a perpetual state of apology?
This type of communication typically comes from individuals who are in the habit of making excuses for their actions. They know that they have a commitment they haven’t met, and, instead of facing the music, they choose to say “I’m sorry” to skirt the issue.
“I’m sorry I didn’t show up on time.”
”I’m sorry I didn’t call.”
”I’m sorry I didn’t get that done.”
Think about how you feel when you hear this merry-go-round of excuses. During this ride, on the way up there is a feeling that the person has noticed their poor behavior and will make changes; the way down, however, quickly follows — when you realize no change is coming. This is a ride that no one wants to buy a ticket to get on!
Where does this behavior, come from? A look at our childhood offers us clues. As children we are taught to say “I’m sorry” whenever we have failed to meet the expectations of others.
“I’m sorry I didn’t clean my room.”
”I’m sorry I didn’t do my homework.”
”I’m sorry I wasn’t home on time.”
We are indoctrinated as children to pacify adults with apologies to get them off our backs. We quickly learn that “I’m sorry” ends the uncomfortable situation, making us free to move on to other things.
Because this behavior works, we carry it into adulthood. We then easily offer up an “I’m sorry” in any situation where the expectations of us are greater than our performance. We learn that by saying “I’m sorry” we can smooth out, or pacify, potential rough spots.
What is lacking when an “I’m sorry” is offered? The commitment to make a positive change. A better alternative to constantly saying “I’m sorry” is to replace those excuses with behaviors that will create positive outcomes:
Excuse Offered Alternative Behavior
: “I’m sorry I didn’t show up on time.” Choose to be punctual.
”I’m sorry I didn’t call.” Make the phone call. “I’m sorry I didn’t get that done.” Choose to do it.
Remember, the quality of our life is in direct proportion to the choices that we make and how we act on them. Part of building healthy self-esteem is to make promises that you will keep. When you over-promise and under-deliver, you are negatively affected: you suffer a feeling of low self-confidence and lack of control. Furthermore, the person on the receiving end of your excuse is left doubting your word and loses confidence in your ability to perform.
So when is it appropriate to say “I’m sorry?” For example, “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. Next time I’ll think about what I’m going to say before I say it.” Although you have used the magic words “I’m sorry” you have acknowledged the negative affect your behavior has had on the other person. You’ve also indicated to that person your commitment to improve your behavior in the future.
Just think about what it would mean if everyone would live their life so they wouldn’t have to say “I’m sorry.” When we heard a promise, we could expect it to be delivered. And when we offered others our word, they could expect the same promise to be fulfilled.
Today, make a commitment to examine how and why you use “I’m sorry.” By doing so you will make the first step toward self-diagnosing and curing “I’m Sorry Syndrome.”
Author: Dr. Susanne Gaddis
The Communications Doctor
Friday, 11 November 2016
Monday, 10 October 2016
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