Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: chapter 1- Down the Rabbit-Hole - Part 1

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:
Chapter 1. Down the Rabbit-Hole - Part 1
Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, 'and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice 'without pictures or conversation?'

So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.

There was nothing so VERY remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so VERY much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, 'Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!' (when she thought it over afterwards, it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but when the Rabbit actually TOOK A WATCH OUT OF ITS WAISTCOAT-POCKET, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.

In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.

The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well.

Humming Bird

Under the shadow of a reddish tree it was playing a pretty little humming bird, when suddenly a huge cloud came by and said : “ humming bird, humming bird what are you doing so lonely over there? Come with me and I´ll turn you into a cloud and then you´ll see how beautiful is to go round and round the world”.
- But my mother awaits for me at home, and I want to see the world by her side, tell me traveller cloud can you promise me that when I become a cloud my mother will be a mountain and I will rest on her snowy top?
- No, I cannot promise such thing.
- Thank you then, and good luck on your way.
The wind that had heard everything came close and said : “humming bird, humming bird what are you doing so lonely over there? I could turn you into a breeze, we will play all day and all night, we won´t have rules or punishments, we´ll be so free!”.
- But if I go away with you can you promise me that I will come home every night to sleep between my mom´s warm wings?
- No, I can´t promise you that.
- Thank you then, and good luck on your way.

Flying over here and over there the humming bird got to a seashore and saw a playful wave appear and disappear, but it finally got close and said : “humming bird, humming bird what are you doing so lonely over there? don´t you want to come away with me and be a wave so we can travell through the oceans to fight with pirates, to look for treasures, to dance with dolphins and sing along with the mermaids?”.
- if I go away with you can you promise me that at the end of the day, when I feel tired or scared my mother will be a beautiful beach and she will cover me up on her soft sand?
- No, I cannot promise you that.
- Thank you then, and good luck on your way.

Flying over here and over there the humming bird returned home, and his mother said : “ humming bird, humming bird why are you so late?
- Today, a cloud, the wind and a wave invited me to go away with them, they spoke about journeys, games and adventures, but I didn´t want to go with them because I would have to go without you.
- Humming bird, humming bird, my little humming bird, I know one day you shall fly away, but I can promise you I will always be by your side; I´ll be the wind under wich you will fly, I´ll be the blooming tree on wich you will rest at night, and whenever you miss me , just remember I will be the sun that will hold you from dawn to dusk. And, at night, if you ever feel scared I will be moonlight that will calm your dreams. Humming bird, humming bird, my little humming bird, don´t you ever be afraight to see the world, because I will be around. And, if one day you want to return to me and for some reason you can´t find the way back, just listen inside of you, because I will be the rithm of your heart, and we will always be toghether in there, that will be our everlasting home.

The end

(fuente: www.encuentos.com)

PRONUNCIATION: RHYMES

Beautiful rhymes to practise your English... for next class!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KXeq48k_Ao

BBC ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION TIPS - VIDEO 4

Copy and paste the link below for more pronunciation practice... Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAk-XtHsyzM

COCOA SNAILS

Ingredients600 g flour
2 egg yolks
3 g yeast
a pinch of salt
2 rounded tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons oil
milk as required – about 500 ml
For the filling:
Butter
Sugar
Cocoa

Instructions
In small bowl, dissolve yeast in slightly warm milk with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let stand 5-8 minutes.
Combine the flour, remaining sugar and salt.
Add the yeast mixture, oil and egg yolks.
Mix together lightly and knead it until smooth.
Cover with a cloth and leave to rise.
When it has risen put it on the table and roll it out.
Spread some butter on the dough and sprinkle with sugar and instant cocoa powder.
Roll the dough with the filling inside so that you get a long roll, then cut in to slices.
Put the slices on to a well-greased baking tin, leave it to rise again for about 15 minutes, then bake the snails in preheated 200 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes until snails get a nice golden brown colour.

The pastry is ready!!! Hurray!! Yummy! Enjoy!

BBC PRONUNCIATION TIPS 3

Another video for practising your English sounds...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZwKFFp7V50

EXERCISE: PAST SIMPLE

(a pedido de los chicos de 5to)


Reescriba las siguientes oraciones en tiempo pasado simple. Respete las mayúsculas, minúsculas y signos de puntuación.

1. I go to school in the morning.


2. Diane is very tired.


3. You are at home.


4. I have breakfast.


5. Thomas and Nick play tennis all day.


6. The plane arrives at half past ten.


7. I study English at home.


8. They stay all night in front of the computer.


9. It is ten past eleven.

BBC ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION TIPS - VIDEO 2

Try this new one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ7dM_LU9t4

LA IMPORTANCIA DE HABLAR INGLES (FUNNY)

An Italian, a Frenchman and a Mexican went for a job interview in England .
Before the interview, they were told that they must compose a sentence in
English with three main words: green, pink, and yellow.

The Italian was first: 'I wake up in the morning. I see the yellow sun. I
see the green grass and I think to myself, I hope it will be a pink day.'

The Frenchman was next: 'I wake up in the morning, I eat a yellow banana, a
green pepper and in the evening I watch the pink panther on TV.'

Last one was the Mexican: 'I wake up in the morning, I hear the phone
'green...green...', I 'pink' up the phone and I say
'Yellow?'...

LISTENING COMPREHENSION 1

Posted especially on Juan´s request.

Anybody can click on the link below to have some listening practice!

Give it a try!

http://www.saberingles.com.ar/listening/101.html

BBCENGLISH PRONUNCIATION - VIDEO 1

Acá va el primero de una serie de videos de pronunciación de Inglés que les van ayudar un montón.
Son editados por la BBC y me parecieron muy útiles.
Espero que a ustedes también les gusten... después me cuentan!

Very interesting! thank you BBC!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNFKG0yvDx4

FORREST GUMP GOES TO HEAVEN

The day finally arrived.
Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven.
He is at the Pearly Gates, met by St. Peter himself. However, the gates are closed, and
Forrest approaches the gatekeeper.
St. Peter said,
"Well, Forrest, it is certainly good to see you.
We have heard a lot about you.
I must tell you, though, that the place is filling up fast, and we have been administering an entrance examination
for everyone.
The test is short, but you have to pass it
before you can get into Heaven."
Forrest responds,
"It sure is good to be here, St. Peter, sir.
But, nobody ever told me about any entrance exam.
I sure hope that the test ain't too hard.
Life was a big enough test as it was."
St. Peter continued,
"Yes, I know, Forrest, but the test is only three questions.

First:
What two days of the week begin with the letter T?
Second:
How many seconds are there in a year?
Third:
What is God's first name?"



Forrest leaves to think the questions over.
He returns the next day and
sees St. Peter,
who waves him up, and says,
"Now that you have had a chance to think
the questions over, tell me your answers"
Forrest replied,
"Well, the first one --
which two days in the week begins with the letter "T"?
Shucks, that one is easy.
That would be Today and Tomorrow."
The Saint's eyes opened wide and
he exclaimed,
"Forrest, that is not what I was thinking, but
you do have a point, and
I guess I did not specify, so
I will give you credit for that answer."
"How about the next one?" asked St. Peter
"How many seconds in a year?
Now that one is harder," replied Forrest, but
I thunk and thunk about that, and
I guess the only answer can be twelve."
Astounded, St.. Peter said,
"Twelve? Twelve?
Forrest, how in Heaven's name could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?"
Forrest replied,
"Shucks, there's got to be twelve:
January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd ... "
"Hold it," interrupts St. Peter.
"I see where you are going with this, and
I see your point,
though that was not quite what I had in mind ... but
I will have to give you credit for that one, too.
Let us go on with the third and final question.
Can you tell me God's first name"?
"Sure," Forrest replied,
"it's Andy."
"Andy?"
exclaimed an exasperated and frustrated St Peter.
"Ok, I can understand how you
came up with your answers to my first two questions, but just how in the world did you come up with the name
Andy as the first name of God?"
"Shucks, that was the easiest one of all,"
Forrest replied.
"I learnt it from the song,
'ANDY WALKS WITH ME,
ANDY TALKS WITH ME,
ANDY TELLS ME I AM HIS OWN.' " St. Peter opened the Pearly Gates and said: "Run, Forrest, run!"

THE COCK AND THE PEARL

Aesop's Fables: The Cock and the Pearl
A cock was once strutting up and down the farmyard among the hens when suddenly he espied something shinning amid the straw."Ho! ho!" quoth he, "that's for me," and soon rooted it out from beneath the straw. What did it turn out to be but a Pearl that by some chance had been lost in the yard?"You may be a treasure," quoth Master Cock, "to men that prize you, but for me I would rather have a single barley-corn than a peck of pearls."Precious things are for those that can prize them.

Vocabulary:
strutting: pavoneándosefarmyard: corralespied: vioquoth: dijo (en inglés antiguo)barley-corn: grano de cebada

IRISH BLESSING

May you have...
a song in your heart
a smile on your lips
and nothing but joy
at your finger tips