Brazil's President Welcomes Iranian Leader

President Lula da Silva says Iran should negotiate with the West for a 'just' solution to country's controversial nuclear program.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says Iran should negotiate with the West for a "just" solution to the country's controversial nuclear program.
The Brazilian leader made his comments Monday as he welcomed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Brasilia.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said Iran is engaging in what he called "subversive activity" in Latin America.
Iran has rejected Western charges that it is using a civilian nuclear program as a cover to develop atomic weapons.
The Iranian president's trip is part of a five-nation tour that has already taken him to the African nation of Gambia. He is also expected to visit Bolivia and Venezuela before leaving South America and traveling on to Senegal.
Mr. Ahmadinejad's trip to Brazil follows visits to the South American country by Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
On Sunday, nearly 1,000 protesters gathered in Rio de Janeiro to protest President Ahmadinejad's trip to Brazil. The protesters represented a wide range of gay, Jewish, anti-racism and other activist groups.

Source: http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/americas/Brazils-President-Welcomes-Iranian-Leader-71913707.html

The disease to please

Do you say yes when you want to say no?

Do crave approval from everyone?

Does it bother you if someone doesn’t like you?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be one of the millions of people suffering from the disease to please. It’s not treatable by drugs or medication, but instead, by a healthy dose of truth. The disease to please stems from many things, including a diminished sense of worth.

I suffered from this disease as a child. When I was 9 or 10, I would invite my friend Jimmy over to play. I desperately wanted him to like me, and I felt rather unlovable (my parents would constantly remind me how chubby I was, and make many jokes at my expense). So, I’d open my baseball card collection, and let him take his favorite cards. I worried that I wasn’t enough myself, and felt that giving him cards would make up for whatever I lacked. Of course, Jimmy liked getting free cards - but it never occurred to me that he actually liked me, too.

Maybe you can relate. But here’s the good news: Having everyone like you isn’t a requirement in life.

Happiness, or one’s level of fulfillment, isn’t based on the approval of others. Approval isn’t required for success in this life. In fact, the more you contribute to the world, the more disapproval you’ll likely encounter. The larger your spotlight and the greater your success, the more dislike you’ll probably experience.

A true sense of worth, of course, can’t be found in the opinions of others. It can only be found within you, as you learn to love the unlovable within you.

Note: This article was taken from the blog of a guy named Deavey Wavey. I am not the one who is mentioned on it.

Source: http://www.breaktheillusion.com/?p=1866

Rio de Janeiro to host 2016 Olympics

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (CNN) -- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee announced Friday.


The announcement brought tears to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief several times in a news conference afterward.

In Rio, jubilation erupted at the world-famous Copacabana beach, where thousands of people gathered to hear the announcement.

Rio organizers promised to start working immediately to make the Games a success.

"Maybe some of the people tomorrow can rest," said Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman. "I'm not (resting)."

Rio beat out Madrid, Spain, in the final round. Chicago, Illinois, and Tokyo, Japan, were eliminated in earlier rounds.

For Rio, a major appeal was bringing the Olympics to South America for the first time.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said in the news conference afterward that in addition to its excellent bid, Rio had the "extra-added value of going for the first time to a continent that's never had the Games."

He also noted that Brazil helped its chances this year when it did not get the 2012 Games awarded four years ago.

"Rio remained humble," he said. "They wanted to listen, to repair their shortcomings."

More than half of Rio's Olympic venues are built, including state-of-the-art facilities constructed for the 2007 Pan and Parapan American Games: the magnificent Joao Havelange Stadium (the proposed 2016 venue for athletics), the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, the Rio Olympic Arena (which will host gymnastics and wheelchair basketball), the Rio Olympic Velodrome, the National Equestrian Center and its close neighbor, the National Shooting Center.

Rio will hold the Games from August 5-21 and its theme will "Live your passion."

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/02/olympics.2016/index.html

Music Therapy

Listening to music does wonders to alleviate stress. Please note that everyone has different tastes in music. Listen to the music that you feel comfortable. Sitting down and forcing yourself to listen to relaxation music that you don't like may create stress, not alleviate it.

Music has always been a great healer. In the Bible, we learn about how David played the harp to help ease his severe depression of King Saul .

Music is a significant mood-changer and reliever of stress, working on many levels at once.

Many experts suggest that it is the rhythm of the music or the beat that has the calming effect on us although we may not be very conscious about it. They point out that when we were a baby in our mother's womb, we probably were influenced by the heart beat of our mother. We respond to the soothing music at later stages in life, perhaps associating it with the safe, relaxing, protective environment provided by our mother.

Music can be one of the most soothing or nerve wracking experiences available. Choosing what will work for any individual is difficult, most will choose something they 'like' instead of what might be beneficial. In doing extensive research on what any given piece of music produces in the physiological response system many unexpected things were found. Many of the so-called Meditation and Relaxation recordings actually produced adverse EEG patterns, just as bad as Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. The surprising thing was many selections of Celtic, Native American as well as various music containing loud drums or flute were extremely soothing. The most profound finding was Any music Performed Live and even at moderately loud volumes even if it was somewhat discordant had very a beneficial response. Whenever the proper sounds were experienced an amazing right/left brain hemisphere synchronization occurred. The normal voltage spiking pattern changed to a smooth sinusoidal waveform and the usual voltage differential equalized. The entire human energetic system is extremely influenced by sounds, the physical body and chakra centers respond specifically to certain tones and frequencies. Special consideration should be given to the positive effects of one actually playing or creating music themselves.

Among the first stress-fighting changes that take place when we hear a tune is an increase in deep breathing. The body's production of serotonin also accelerates.

Music was found to reduce the pain during dental procedures.

Playing music in the background while we are working, seemingly unaware of the music itself, has been found to reduce the stress.

Music was found to reduce heart rates and to promote higher body temperature - an indication of the onset of relaxation. Combining music with relaxation therapy was more effective than doing relaxation therapy alone.

Maximizing With Music Therapy

As we mentioned before, there is not a single music that is good for everyone. People have different tastes. It is important that you like the music being played.

The following are general guidelines to maximize the effectiveness of the music.


To wash away stress, try taking a 20-minute "sound bath." Put some relaxing music on your stereo, then lie in a comfortable position on a couch or on the floor near the speakers. For a deeper experience, you can wear headphones to focus your attention and to avoid distraction.

Choose music with a slow rhythm - slower than the natural heart beat which is about 72 beats per minute. Music that has repeating or cyclical pattern is found to be effective in most people.

As the music plays, allow it to wash over you, rinsing off the stress from the day. Focus on your breathing, letting it deepen, slow and become regular. Concentrate on the silence between the notes in the music; this keeps you from analyzing the music and makes relaxation more complete.

If you need a stimulation after a day of work, go for a faster music rather than slow calming music.

When going gets tough, go for a music you are familiar with - such as a childhood favorite or favorite oldies. Familiarity often breeds calmness.

Take walks with your favorite music playing on the walkman. Inhale and exhale in tune with the music. Let the music takes you. This is a great stress reliever by combining exercise (brisk walk), imagery and music.

Listening to the sounds of nature, such as ocean waves or the calm of a deep forest, can reduce stress. Try taking a 15- to 20-minute walk if you're near the seashore or a quiet patch of woods. If not, you can buy tapes of these sounds in many music stores.

Source: http://www.holisticonline.com/stress/stress_music-therapy.htm

Differences Between American and British English

While there are certainly many more varieties of English, American and British English are the two varieties that are taught in most ESL/EFL programs. Generally, it is agreed that no one version is "correct" however, there are certainly preferences in use. The most important rule of thumb is to try to be consistent in your usage. If you decide that you want to use American English spellings then be consistent in your spelling (i.e. The color of the orange is also its flavour - color is American spelling and flavour is British), this is of course not always easy - or possible. The following guide is meant to point out the principal differences between these two varieties of English.

Use of the Present Perfect

In British English the present perfect is used to express an action that has occurred in the recent past that has an effect on the present moment. For example:

I've lost my key. Can you help me look for it?
In American English the following is also possible:
I lost my key. Can you help me look for it?

In British English the above would be considered incorrect. However, both forms are generally accepted in standard American English. Other differences involving the use of the present perfect in British English and simple past in American English include already, just and yet.

British English:

I've just had lunch
I've already seen that film
Have you finished your homework yet?

American English:

I just had lunch OR I've just had lunch
I've already seen that film OR I already saw that film.
Have your finished your homework yet? OR Did you finish your homework yet?

Possession

There are two forms to express possession in English. Have or Have got

Do you have a car?
Have you got a car?
He hasn't got any friends.
He doesn't have any friends.
She has a beautiful new home.
She's got a beautiful new home.

While both forms are correct (and accepted in both British and American English), have got (have you got, he hasn't got, etc.) is generally the preferred form in British English while most speakers of American English employ the have (do you have, he doesn't have etc.)

The Verb Get

The past participle of the verb get is gotten in American English. Example He's gotten much better at playing tennis. British English - He's got much better at playing tennis.

Vocabulary

Probably the major differences between British and American English lies in the choice of vocabulary. Some words mean different things in the two varieties for example:

Mean: (American English - angry, bad humored, British English - not generous, tight fisted)

Rubber: (American English - condom, British English - tool used to erase pencil markings)

There are many more examples (too many for me to list here). If there is a difference in usage, your dictionary will note the different meanings in its definition of the term. Many vocabulary items are also used in one form and not in the other. One of the best examples of this is the terminology used for automobiles.

* American English - hood
British English - bonnet

* American English - trunk
British English - boot

* American English - truck
British English - lorry

Once again, your dictionary should list whether the term is used in British English or American English.

For a more complete list of the vocabulary differences between British and American English use this British vs. American English vocabulary tool.

Prepositions

There are also a few differences in preposition use including the following:

* American English - on the weekend
British English - at the weekend

* American English - on a team
British English - in a team

* American English - please write me soon
British English - please write to me soon

Past Simple/Past Participles

The following verbs have two acceptable forms of the past simple/past participle in both American and British English, however, the irregular form is generally more common in British English (the first form of the two) and the regular form is more common to American English.

* Burn
Burnt OR burned

* Dream
dreamt OR dreamed

* Lean
leant OR leaned

* Learn
learnt OR learned

* Smell
smelt OR smelled

* Spell
spelt OR spelled

* Spill
spilt OR spilled

Spoil
spoilt OR spoiled

Spelling

Here are some general differences between British and American spellings:

Words ending in -or (American) -our (British) color, colour, humor, humour, flavor, flavour etc.
Words ending in -ize (American) -ise (British) recognize, recognise, patronize, patronise etc.

The best way to make sure that you are being consistent in your spelling is to use the spell check on your word processor (if you are using the computer of course) and choose which variety of English you would like. As you can see, there are really very few differences between standard British English and standard American English. However, the largest difference is probably that of the choice of vocabulary and pronunciation.

Source: http://esl.about.com/od/toeflieltscambridge/a/dif_ambrit.htm

Brazil beats Argentina to clinch World Cup berth

Brazil clinched a place in next year's World Cup and further threatened Argentina's chances of qualifying by winning its qualifier, 3-1, on Saturday at Rosario, Argentina.

Fabiano scored two goals and Luisao had another for Brazil, raising the pressure on Argentina Coach Diego Maradona.

The victory in the World Cup qualifier guarantees Brazil a place in next year's 32-team tournament in South Africa.

Fabiano scored in the 30th and 67th with Luisao opening the scoring in the 24th. Jesus Datolo got Argentina's goal in the 65th.

Brazil tops the South American group with 30 points. Argentina is hanging on in fourth place with 22.

Source: www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-soccer-world-cup6-2009sep06,0,2420366.story

Michael Jackson's death has been ruled a homicide, the Los Angeles County coroner announced Friday.

L.A. Coroner Confirms Michael Jackson's Death Was Homicide

The ruling means Jackson died at the hands of another, but whether criminal activity is involved -- such as gross negligence or intent to harm -- remains undetermined.

Search warrants executed by police and the Drug Enforcement Administration at the home and offices of Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician who was with him in the hours before he died, indicate they are investigating the possibility of manslaughter, excessive use of prescribing medication and prescribing to an addict.

"The drugs propofol and lorazepam were found to be the primary drugs responsible for Mr. Jackson's death," said the coroner's office in a statement.

Source: adapted from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/28/AR2009082802822.html

Cannabis: Saviour or sin?

Cannabis, as a word, conjures up many different feelings among different people. Drug, as a word, does exactly the same thing. Therefore, it is no surprise that the debate of cannabis the drug has been an intense and largely inconclusive argument for some time. There is, however, conclusive evidence that excessive smoking of cannabis, and its various forms, for recreational purposes can lead to health problems. Yet there is also evidence of the plant's medicinal capabilities. As such, the argument rages between the plant's usage as a recreational drug and as a medicinal drug.

Some believe that smoking cannabis as a method of consumption can help ease the extreme pain of such things as chronic arthritis. But generally, smoking cannabis as a method of consumption to treat illness is dismissed by health experts who believe that any smoked cannabis is harmful. However, in the UK a synthetic man-made version of a chemical from the cannabis plant is available as a prescription drug called Nabilone. Smoked cannabis, where as it would never be prescribed for medicinal purposes in the UK, is proven to help people who claim to have tried everything else. Nausea from chemotherapy and for people who lose their appetite after chemotherapy, muscle spasms in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferers and possibly pain, can be relieved from smoked cannabis.And now, compounds found in Cannabis may help in the fight against prostate cancer. The Spanish study said the findings point to promising new treatments for the disease. The study claims that active chemicals identical to those in the drug halted the growth of therapy-resistant prostate cancer cells in the laboratory, and they also reduced the size of tumours in mice with the disease.

It is far too early for this research to be counted as a reason for men to smoke cannabis as a means to treat prostate cancer, but it opens new doors as it shows that prostate cancer cells might stop growing if they are treated with chemicals found in cannabis. Cannabis chemicals are called 'cannabinoids', and have already been researched in Spain as potential anti-cancer treatments. n the latest research, scientists tested a cannabinoid mimic or "analogue" and synthetic cannabinoid on three lines of human prostate cancer cells.

However, chemicals in cannabis can also contribute to health problems. People vulnerable to its mental effects can suffer a severe mental illness as a result of smoking the drug. Elderly people hoping to ease pain by inhaling cannabis are especially vulnerable to things like deep depression. Also, Macmillan Cancer Support says while trials have shown cannabis may have some pain-killing effect it is no better than the codeine available over the counter. Side effects such as sedation, confusion, low blood pressure and palpitations are also real dangers. Further still, the cancer support group argue that cannabis contains chemicals such as carcinogens, which can cause cancer and smoking can, of course, cause respiratory problems.

Cannabis should not be dismissed as a merely harmful recreational drug that offers more costs to ones health than benefits. Differentiating between the two uses of the plants chemical properties for medicinal and recreational purposes is vital. Cannabis can absolutely be a saviour, and even though research is in early stages, its chemical properties should be utilized, just not through smoking. Recreational use of cannabis is not safe, and should never be advised by anyone for things like pain-relief, particularly when trials have shown that cannabis is no better than products such as codeine, available over the counter.

Source: http://www.ngpharma.eu.com/news/Cannabis-Saviour-or-sin/

IDIOMAS TEXTOS

A ESCOLA DE LÍNGUAS IDIOMAS CONVIDA VOCÊ, ALUNO E EX- ALUNO, PARA QUE COMENTEM OS TEXTOS QUE ESTARÃO POSTADOS NESTE NOVO BLOG DA ESCOLA. OS COMENTÁRIOS SERÃO AVALIADOS PELOS PROFESSORES DE CURSO DE LÍNGUA INGLESA.
COMENTE OS TEXTOS DOS MAIS DIVERSOS AUTORES, POETAS E ESCRITORES.
TODA SEMANA UM NOVO TEXTO SERÁ POSTADO.
ESCOLA IDIOMAS.

A Escola de línguas Idiomas, na sua nova proposta pedagógica, incluindo as tecnologias da informação dispõe de mais este recurso didático.

Toda sexta-feira será postado um texto o qual deverá ser lido pelo aluno e este deve fazer um comentário.

Deve ser acrescido ao comentário o nome completo do aluno bem como sua indicação de turma.

A metodologia vale tanto para os alunos do INGLÊS COMUNICATIVO quanto para os do INGLÊS INSTRUMENTAL.

Os alunos do nível básico I do INGLÊS COMUNICATIVO e do INGLÊS INSTRUMENTAL poderão fazer seus comentários em língua portuguesa, os demais níveis do COMUNICATIVO devem fazer os seus comentários obrigatoriamente em língua inglesa de acordo com o seu nível.