dimarts, 22 de maig del 2012

The world's best-paid sports teams

Barcelona's players are the best paid in the world according to a new report. The team kept its No. 1 place on the earnings table with each player taking home an average annual salary of $8.6 million (£5.2 million). That's a whopping $166,934 (£101,160) per week and a 10% rise on last year.

Barcelona's players are the best paid in the world according to a new report. The team kept its No. 1 place on the earnings table with each player taking home an average annual salary of $8.6 million (£5.2 million). That's a whopping $166,934 (£101,160) per week and a 10% rise on last year.


Spanish football teams continued to dominate the rankings, with Real Madrid keeping its No. 2 spot. It's players earned an average $7.7 million (£4.7 million) - a 6% rise on last year. Cristiano Ronaldo became the most expensive footballer in history in 2009 after moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a six-year deal worth $129 million (£80 million).
 
Spanish football teams continued to dominate the rankings, with Real Madrid keeping its No. 2 spot. It's players earned an average $7.7 million (£4.7 million) - a 6% rise on last year. Cristiano Ronaldo became the most expensive footballer in history in 2009 after moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a six-year deal worth $129 million (£80 million).



Manchester United

Manchester United is the most valuable brand in football according to a report by independent consultancy Brand Finance. The global appeal and on-field success of the 19-time English champions has helped establish a brand worth an estimated $853 million.

Manchester United's veteran midfielder Ryan Giggs has been named the best player in English Premier League history at an award ceremony to celebrate 20 years of the elite soccer division. The Welshman, 38, has played in every season, winning the title on 12 occasions and scoring 107 goals.



Manchester United is the most valuable brand in football according to a report by independent consultancy Brand Finance. The global appeal and on-field success of the 19-time English champions has helped establish a brand worth an estimated $853 million.

Research ship finds the world's oceans are 'plasticized'


(CNN) -- A marine expedition of environmentalists has confirmed the bad news it feared -- the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" extends even further than previously known.
Organized by two non-profit groups -- the Algalita Marine Research Foundation and the 5 Gyres Institute -- the expedition is sailing from the Marshall Islands to Japan through a "synthetic soup" of plastic in the North Pacific Ocean on a 72-feet yacht called the Sea Dragon, provided by Pangaea Exploration.
The area is part of one of the ocean's five tropical gyres -- regions where bodies of water converge, with currents delivering high concentrations of plastic debris. The Sea Dragon is visiting the previously unexplored western half of the North Pacific gyre -- situated below the 35th parallel, and home to a massive expanse of plastic particles known as the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" -- to look for plastic pollution and study its effect on marine life.
Leading the expedition is Marcus Eriksen, a former U.S. marine and Ph.D student from University of Southern California.
Our nets come up with a handful of plastic fragments at a time, in every trawl we've done for the last thousand miles.
Marcus Eriksen, expedition lead
er
"We've been finding lots of micro plastics, all the size of a grain of rice or a small marble," Eriksen said via satellite phone. "We drag our nets and come up with a small handful, like confetti -- 10, 20, 30 fragments at a time. That's how it's been, every trawl we've done for the last thousand miles."
Eriksen, who has sailed through all five gyres, said this confirmed for him "that the world's oceans are 'plasticized.' Everywhere you go in the ocean, you're going to find this plastic waste."
Besides documenting the existence of plastic pollution, the expedition intends to study how long it takes for communities of barnacles, crabs and molluscs to establish, whether the plastic can serve as a raft for species to cross continents, and the prevalence of chemical pollutants.
On a second leg from Tokyo to Hawaii departing May 30, the team expect to encounter material dislodged by the Japanese tsunami.
"We'll be looking for debris that's sub-surface: overturned boats, refrigerators, things that wind is not affecting," Eriksen said. "We'll get an idea of how much is out there, what's going on and what it's carrying with it, in terms of toxins."
Scripps Institute graduate Miriam Goldstein was chief scientist on a similar expedition to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 2009. According to her research, there has been a 100-fold increase in plastic garbage in the last 40 years, most of it broken down into tiny crumbs to form a concentrated soup.
The particles are so small and profuse that they can't be dredged out. "You need a net with very fine mesh and then you're catching baby fish, baby squid -- everything," Goldstein says. "For every gram of plastic you're taking out, you probably take out more or less the equivalent of sea life."
We don't necessarily want an ocean stuffed with barnacles
Miriam Goldstein, scientist
Scientists are worried that the marine organisms that adapt to the plastic could displace existing species. Goldstein said this was a major concern, as organisms that grow on hard surfaces tend to monopolize already scarce food, to the detriment of other species.
"Things that can grow on the plastic are kind of weedy and low diversity -- a parallel of the things that grow on the sides of docks," she says. "We don't necessarily want an ocean stuffed with barnacles."
Sea-level rise: Impacts and mitigation measures around the world
Eriksen says the mood on the Sea Dragon has been upbeat, with crew members playing a ukulele and doing yoga, "but the sobering reality is that we're trawling through a synthetic soup."
Also on board is Valerie Lecoeur, founder of a company that makes eco-friendly baby and children's products, including biodegradable beach toys made from corn, and Michael Brown from Packaging 2.0, a packaging consultancy.
Eriksen says they have been discussing the concept of "extended producer responsibility".
"As the manufacturer of any good in the world today, you really can't make your product without a plan for its entire use, because you could eventually have 7 billion customers buy your product," he said.
"If one little button has no plan, the world now has a mountain of buttons to deal with. There is no room for waste, as a concept or a place -- there's just no place to put it anymore. That's the reality we need to face. We've got this plastic everywhere."

Jade & Willow Smith


A few months ago, most people didn't know Willow Smith. But today, she is everywhere. Willow suddenly became a star with her first single "Whip My Hair". Willow's brother Jaden, aged 12, is also famous: he was in the films The Pursuit of Happiness and The Karate Kid. Willow and Jaden's parents are actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. They have been criticized for pushing their children into the world of the stars. But Willow and Jaden seem comfortoble with fane. They are talented and ambitious: Willow says she wants to work with pop star lady Gaga! Jaden and Willow are proving that the kids of stars can have success on their own!



Toilet food

Would you like to eat from a toilet? Well, now you can: in a restaurant in Beijing, China. The chairs are toilets and the food is served in mini toilet bowls and bidets. Yuck! It's a popular and cheap restaurant. But would you go?



NOVEL: Romeo and Juliet



NOVEL: ROMEO AND JULIET

CHAPTER : The Montagues and the Capulets
There were two families in the city of Verona, the Montagues and the Capulets. They had hated each other for a lot of years.
The servants, one day, met in the street and they start a fight. Then Lord and Lady Capulet arrived. And Lord and Lady Montague arrived too. Everyone was fighting.
At last the Prince of Verona arrived. He was very angry and he said that if they fight again, they will both die. The fight was over.
Romeo was in love of Rosaline. But Rosaline wasn't love Romeo.
Lord Capulet decided to have a party, because he wonted his daughter, Juliet, to meet Paris. The rich Lord. He hoped he would marry Juliet in the future.
The servant went to invite the guests. Then met Romeo and Benvolio in the street and ask for help to read the names of the list.
Romeo saw that Rosaline were invited in the party.
While Lady Capulet was talking to Juliet to say she would marry Paris.

CHAPTER TWO: The garden of the Capulets

Romeo and Benvolio went to the party with a mask because the people weren't recognise that they were Montague.
He forgot Rosaline when he saw Juliet.
The people dance to the music, and Tybalt recognised Romeo's voice.
Tybalt called his uncle, but Lord Capulet said they can stay in the party.
Romeo went to talk with Juliet and he kiss her lips. Juliet went with the Nurse. Juliet asked who was that young man and Romeo asked the same. They knew who were them.
In the night, Romeo jumped the wall to go in Juliet's garden.
And they were talking, and decided to get married secretly.

CHAPTER THREE: The Prince of Cats

Romeo went to see Friar Laurence because he wanted to marry with Juliet secretly.
Tybalt wanted to fight with him.
The Nurse went to visit Romeo and he gave a message for Juliet “They will meet to Friar Laurence's cell to get married secretly”.
The two lovers got married.
Finally there was a fight between Tybalt and Mercutio. Romeo didn't want to fight to Juliet's cousin. Romeo want to stop the fight and Tybalt killed Mercutio and he run away.
CHAPTER FOUR: Fortune's Fool
Tybalt returned to the fight and Romeo killed him because he was very angry.
Romeo run away because the Prince was coming. Benvolio explained the fight to the Prince.
The Prince say they banish Romeo from Verona.
Romeo went to see for the last time Juliet and they spent the night together.
Paris was very happy because he will married Juliet. But nobody knew that Juliet was married with Romeo secretly.

CHAPTER FIVE: My Lady's Dead!

Lady Capulet explained to Juliet that she had to get married with Paris next Thursday morning. Juliet tried to explain that she didn't want.
Then her father force her to marry him.
Juliet visited Friar Laurence and he gave a special potion for to sleep for forty-two hours and her family think she's death and carry her to the tomb. And there she wakes up and meet Rome for to escape together.
The day of the wedding, the Nurse found Juliet died in the bed and the wedding became a funeral.
And Friar John went to Mantua to tell Romeo to come back to Verona.

CHAPTER SIX: With a Kiss, I Die

Romeo knew that Juliet was dead. Rome went to the tomb of Capulets. In the tomb, Paris tried to arrest Romeo, they fight and Romeo kill Paris.
Rome went inside the tomb, kiss Juliet and drank the poison.
Friar Laurence went to the tomb because he want to help them. He found Romeo dead and Juliet wake up. When Juliet saw Romeo dead, she want to dead too and stabbed herself and fell.
Finally Friar Laurence told the truth to the Montagues and Capulets and families became friends.

dimarts, 15 de maig del 2012

Recommend and express preferences

Albert: Hey Arnau, have you seen any good films recently?
Arnau: Yer, two or three. Have you?
Albert: No. What about this one? Is it any good?
Arnau: I'd only recommend that if you like really bad science fiction.
Albert: No, I don't fancy that.
Arnau: Here you're. You might prefer this.
Albert: What's that? Titanic? No I'm not a big fan about drama or romantic films. I'd prefer a comedy.
Arnau: A comedy...er...OK, well, try this one. It's got a really funny plot. I think you'll like it.
Albert: Ok, I'll trust you. Thanks, Arnau.
Arnau: No problem. Byebye(:


Talk about plans and arrangaments

Arnau: Hi, Mr Albert. Have you got a minute?
Albert: Hello Arnau. What can I do for you?
Arnau: I'm doing a twenty-kilometre run for charity next week, and I'm looking for sponsors.
Albert: That's very good Arnau. What's it for?
Arnau: It's for a children's charity.
Albert: And when are you running? 
Arnau: I'm running next Sunday. I'm hoping to raise about 150 $. Will you sponsor me?
Albert: Yes,OK. It sounds like a good cause. I hope you finish it!
Arnau: I'm going to try! Some friends are going to do it too.
Albert: Good luck Arnau.
Arnau: Thanks.

Express doubt and persuade

Albert: Hi Arnau, what on earth is that?
Arnau: Oh, I got it this afternoon. What do you think? Do you like it?
Albert: Mmm... Yes but I'm not convinced.
Arnau: Don't you think it's interesting?
Albert: Er, sort of, but I'm not sure about the body of the person.
Arnau: Oh, come on! It isn't that bad. It's really colourful and beautiful. It's good to have a new picture in the house.
Albert: I suppose so.
Arnau: Don't worry, it'll be fine. It'll grow on you.
Albert: Ok. We'll see.



dimarts, 8 de maig del 2012

Real Steel

I'd like to recommend a film which i watched recently, called Acero Puro/ Real Steel.
It's a 2011 American science fiction and action film starring Hugh Jackman and co-produced and directed by Shawn Levy.

I love the characters of the film. The mai characters are:
 -Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton
-Dakota Goyo as Max Kenton
-Evangeline Lilly as Bailey Tallet
-Kevin Durand as Ricky
-Hope Davis as Debra
-James Rebhorn as Marvin
-Anthony Mackies as Finn
-Olga Fonda as Farra Lemkova
-Karl Yune as Tak Mashido

The things I liked most about the film were the robots boxers. Some of the scenes are memorable because they're very strong, but the style and plot are very complex.

The story starts in 2020, human boxers have been replaced by robot boxers. Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) is a former boxer who owns a robot, Ambush, competing in unsanctioned matches and exhibitions whit it. At a rural fair, Ambush is destroyed by Back Thunder, a bull belonging to prometer Ricky (Kevin Durand). Having made a bet that Ambush would win, Charlie now owes Ricki $20,000 , which he doesn't pay before leaving.


All in all, I love this film. It's easy to watch and it's still got a strong message.