PET Practise 1

Dear Students, Today we will be practising for the upcoming PET final test.

Please go to the following Links and complete each exercise, It is mandatory that each one of you complete this practise individually.

Reading:

 

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading1.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/reading1.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading2.htm

 

Listening:

 

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part1.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part2.htm

 

Vocabulary:

 

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_vocab.htm

 

Post 7, Free-themed post (3) My favourite Music Genre

Talk about your favourite music style.

1. Explain the history of the genre, how it started,etc.
2. Your favourite bands and singers.
3.What do you like about the genre (the rythms, themes,etc.)

Word count: 230.

During my youth and young adulthood I spent many time learning about different music genres, and experimenting with them. The great thing about music is that the more you immerse into some artist, it leads you to different genres and you end by listening to a great diversity of styles.

I want to talk about a particular genre that I enjoyed a lot some years ago. It is original ska. When people think of ska today, they either think of two-tone Ska, which is the most popular brand. The Skatalites was one of the first bands to be labelled as such, although the music was created in Jamaica many years before, as an uptempo mix of pop songs of the 50's and 60's, adapted by the people of Kingston. The first songs contain traces of Rythm and blues and the Calypso influence of the island.

Many first Ska artist later became Reggae icons, such as John Holt, Peter Tosh and even Bob Marley, who in his youth was part of a ska singing quartet.

The music and culture began to influence British music at the beginning of the 70's, since Jamaican immigrants brought their music and culture. Rude boy culture influenced much of the fashion and music taste of the first youth culture, who later became Mods, or even the first Skinheads (not the Nazi ones, that's a whole different story).

The first band who integrated both black and white ska musicians were The Specials, who introduced ska culture to future generations.

What I like a lot about this particular Genre is how it shows the organic development of popular music acrross cultures and countries. Unlike modern globalized music industry, ska was a style that started from the youth and underprivileged.

Here are two examples of the origins of ska music:
The Paragons

The Specials

Post 6, Post-Graduate Studies

First read the following article about choosing the right course.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/mar/03/how-make-sure-dont-choose-wrong-postgraduate-course

Look for some examples on the web.

Write about a postgraduate course that you would consider taking in the future.

Include:

- Reasons to do the course

- Subject(s) you would like to study

- Where you would like to study (Chile or abroad)

- How you would like to study (distance learning, blended system, part-time course, etc)

- Any other relevant ideas

- Make comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts + a comment on your teacher's post.

- Word Count: 220 words

Last year I finished my thesis on Visual Art, and less than a month after I started my Master's degree in Media Art. So for me, continuing my studies was something I deeply wanted from the start. I can assure you that it is a lot of extra work maintaining a regular life with so many occupations and assignments.
Anyways, it has been an excellent opportunity to dig deeper on all the things you found interesting during your BA and want to keep developing.

Nonetheless, I would love to look for an Artist Residency in a foreign country. Taking some time outside is very important for fresh artists, and many people try to go to the main cultural centers, such as Berlin or London. In my case, I am not that interested in going to those places. If I had all the time and money available. I would study in Scotland, in The Glasgow School of Art. Art schools are a great option, since you can concentrate on specific topics, and working alongside people from all over the world. 

On the other hand, I wouldn't mind studying in South America, as long as I could learn something related to my current interests.  I am interested in Art history, specifically Latin American art, from the Colonial era until now.  I would like to find a special program that focused on these topics. There is a nice Masters Degree in Latin American Art at the University of Cuyo in Argentina.

If I cannot travel, I would still try to keep myself informed. In Chile, it is not easy to work and study, but distance learning has become a sensible option.  

So, what about you, would you like to continue your studies in the future?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuEcXjDci-8

Post 5 My Future Job

- What kind of job would you like to have? How do you imagine it?

- Outdoors /indoors?

- Would you like to travel a lot in your job?

- What about the salary?

- What major are you studying / are you thinking of taking?    Explain why

- Add any other related ideas.

Well, This is an awkward question for me, since I am currently working and actually, I enjoy my job  a lot. I realize that it is different from what I  had thought It would be when I  was a student, but still, I think it is a nice living. 

Regarding my future plans, I would love to continue teaching, I have found a lot of happiness working with people. Maybe I would like to travel some more, but in a good sense. I would like to travel to different parts of Chile, in order to learn more about its people and their customs. I know it sounds a bit farfetched, but I truly believe that teaching is not just a matter of passing down information in an efficient way, but more about sharing experiences and creating bonds. Also, we need to make our best efforts to fight ignorance and prejudice, poverty is not just a material issue but a cultural matter as well. 

Maybe If I had to change something, I would love to work with small groups of students, so I could get to know them better.For the time being, I have no real concerns about the money, even though I should be thinking about the future and start saving some money, so obviously, I would like to have a steady income. On a different note, I am just finishing my BA in Art, and that is a field I would love to integrate into my teaching. I think that Art is a "place" where people can learn and comment upon current issues,  So, I would definitely like a steady job, which allowed me to meet new people and share our experiences and opinions about life today.

So, What do you think about it?, please don't forget to comment below.  

Word count: 210 at least!

Post 4, (Themed post 2) Talk about your favourite cartoon

Hey guys, today we have a second session including your proposals. This time we are going to share our favourite cartoon.

Don't forget to include the following information:

• Describe the characters and plot (if any).
• When was the first time you watched it. What was it like?
• Why is it your favourite?

To begin with, I have to admit I still watch cartoons whenever possible. If I had the time, I would keep track of new series and characters. Since the idea is that you get to know different examples, I am going to refer to a somewhat older cartoon.  I used to watch it when I was a little kid (7 or 8 years old) along with my older brother. The name of this British cartoon is "Duckula"

What I really like about this series was it comedic and parodic qualities. It is the story of a Vegetarian Vampire duck (that's right), and his wacky adventures around the world, in the company of their servants Igor (an evil butler) and Nanny (a giant and slow-witted maid). They all live in Duckula's castle, which is able to travel across space and time (a great narrative device!)

The reason of Duckula's calm and pacific personality is due to Igor's mistake at the moment of Duckula's revival (instead of using blood, he included ketchup). This was always mentioned at the beginning of each chapter.

The stories connected both comedy and the Dracula's mythos (for example, Duckula's nemesis was  Dr. Von Goosewing, a parody of Dr. Van Hellsing), I was really attracted to its silly and dark nature. It also was a slight comment on being yourself  despite other people's expectations.

I haven't found it in regular TV nowadays, but If you check it out, please give it a try!

Post 3 (Free writing) Write about your favourite movie

Hey guys, I am very glad that you chose this topic, since I am a huge fan of movies. My father and I used to rent videos every weekend when I was little, so It is still one of my favourite hobbies (although I don't have enough time these days).
 Today, I want to talk you about a movie I watched during those years. It is called "Seven".

This movie was directed by David Fincher, who is also the director of "Fight Club" among other films. It was released in 1995, with great acclaim. It is considered a thriller, since it includes elements from the detective novel and the horror tradition.


The story follows the efforts of Detectives Will Sommerset and David Mills, interpreted by Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, who start an investigation on the ritual murders held by a mysterious psychopath, who mimics the style and nature of his crimes to the seven deadly sins, found in Dante's Divine Comedy.
Each victim is related in a way with a particular sin. And as the movie develops, we discover that the murderer's plan is far more elaborate and sinister than expected.

I love this movie due to its peculiar themes and settings. The art direction used light and edit techniques that were later used in many  other movies, music clips, etc.
I think that for the better or worse, this movie started the genre of metaphysical killers, being Seven, the grown-up version of the more adolescent "Saw"(2004)

Post 2 The best...ever!

Dear bloggers, today you have two options for writing.

Lets check them out.

1) Talk about your best Holidays ever.

Please Mention:

- when it was
- where they went
- how long it was
- people you went with
- things/activities you did
- why it has been the best so far
- any other relevant info

2) Talk about the best Concert you ever attended:

Please Indicate: 

- when / where it was
- the artist you saw
- a bit of info about the artist
- describe the atmosphere during the event
- describe how you felt and why you enjoyed it
- any other memories about it


YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE ONLY ONE TOPIC!

Please check out my sample:


If I have to talk about my best holiday ever, I would say that  It happened in 2013. I was just starting a new period in my life, getting back to the University, and one of my best friends had just moved to Temuco with her girlfriend at the time. David is a very tall and cheerful American, who I met at work during 2010. We became best buddies, and I helped him a lot getting used to our culture and language.
During January, he invited me to stay for a couple of weeks down south, and go on a trip to different places, with the idea to trek at a very interesting place, hidden in the mountains close to Puerto Montt, the name was Cochamó.
Cochamó is a beautiful place located near the small town of Cochamó. It was originally a passing trail between Chile and Argentina, used by Gauchos in order to move their cattle between seasons. In recent years, It was rediscovered by hikers and mountain climbers, so the people there were from all over the world. The only challenge was the 4 hour walk that you had to make in order to get to the camp. We had to go through a rainstorm in the middle of a thick forest, I will never forget that. It was a great trip and a great memory, today my friends are no longer together, so when I see those pictures I can remember all the good times we spent together. Also, this kind of holidays shows you how you can relate to a new context, and discover new things about yourself.

Now It is your turn. Choose one of the two topics and answer each question inside your story.

Tip: Try including the vocabulary we practised last class!

The Minimum amount of words is 170. (Mine was 272, so go figure)

Include some pictures to describe, and don't forget to comment on your Classmates posts (Choose 3, plus mine) ;)

Post 1, A country I'd like to visit

Dear Students, This is your course Blog, here you can find all the instructions and samples to guide you on your writing.


Our first post is titled A country I would like to visit.

Please check out my sample:



Iquitos, Peru.

If you ask me, I have always dreamt about going for a long holiday trip around the world. I know it is no easy task, but I really like the idea of moving constantly from place to place, meeting new people and adapting to their customs. Some years ago, I backpacked to the south of Peru, It was a wonderful experience. I loved every bit about it. The beautiful sights, the warmth of the people, and all the fun you can find even when you are on a budget!

If I had the time and money I would love to get back there, but this time I would choose to go north, to Iquitos, and stay a whole season in the jungle.
Iquitos is the capital city of the Loreto department, it has no road access, so you can only access it by plane or boat.
Once there, I'd really like to get on a boat trip on the amazon river, find a tourist lodge that offered jungle tours and finally, just spending some quiet time.

I am aware that this region is one of Peru's poorest, so I cannot ignore this fact. If possible, I'd like to help people maybe with some English teaching, and help them to increase the tourism.
A big problem here is that there are not strong laws protecting the forest nor the wildlife. I would really like to meet the people working in conservation.

On a personal level, I would use this trip to disconnect myself from everyday life, and also to take  pictures, drawings and create paintings about the people living and working next to one of the last natural reservoirs.




A picture of the city,



My jungle brother.


Fitzcarraldo (1982), filmed in Iquitos, you should definitely watch this movie!



So, What do you think about my choice? Please leave a comment below!


Now, It is your turn, If you had the time and means to travel, What country would you like to visit?

Write at least 160 words.

Follow these instructions:

- Which country would you like to go to? Why?
- What do you know about it?
- What would you like to do there?
- Would you like to study/work/live there? Explain.
- Upload some pictures

- Make comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts + a comment on your  teacher's post
(This is the most important part of the exercise)

Tips: Write down at least 3 or 4 key words, and create sentences related to these ideas. This is the backbone of your post.

Do not use a translator, It is awkward, inacurate, and very boring!

Instead, try using this dictionary: www.wordreference.com


Relax, be creative and have fun!