AlMeRiA

Most people in Europe pass their winters planning their destination for the following summer, in general they look for sunny climates. The best option is Almeria where the climate is perfect, it isn’t too hot and the beaches are in general very clear. The best way to go on holidays is going to campings because it isn’t expensive and you can stay there more time than if you go to hotels. One of advantages of going to campings is that you can meet people from other countries. In Almeria there are a lot of campings but the most famous one is ‘Escullos camping’, which is in the middle of the desert; here there is a swimming-pool, jacuzzi, sauna, gym, supermarket etc... Very close to the camping (700m) there is a beach with stones where the children can jump without danger. San José is the nearest village, where there are three very famous caves: ‘Cala de la media luna, Genoveses and Monsul), which are natural and unedificated. Sometimes to arrive to one of this caves you have to walk about ten minutes but when you arrive the scenary is beautiful, you don’t see refreshments, cars.. you only see the sea and you only hear the waves. If you have a dog you can take the animal to the beach, the dog will run without being disturbed.

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, is one of those talismanic places that everyone dreams to visit, is a city located in the andes mountains in Peru. It was built between 1460 and 1470 AD by Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, an Incan ruler.The city has an altitude of 8,000 feet, and is high above the Urubamba River canyon cloud forest, so it better because didn't have any, military or commercial use. Machu Picchu has approximately 200 buildings, most are residences, although there are temples, storage structures and other public buildings. About 1,200 people lived in and around Machu Picchu, most of them women, children, and priests.

The buildings are have been planned and built under the supervision of professional Inca architects. Most of the structures are built of granite blocks cut with bronze , and smoothed with sand.

The Incas planted crops such as potatoes and maize at Machu Picchu. To get the highest yield possible, they used advanced and methods to reduce erosion and increase the area available for cultivation. One of the most important things found at Machu Picchu is the intihuatana, is a column of stone rising from a block of stone the size of a grand piano, Intihuatana literally means "for tying the sun". When the winter solstice is produced, a priest would hold a ceremony to tie the sun to the stone to prevent the sun from disappearing altogether. The other intihuatanas were destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors,but because the Spanish never found Machu Picchu, it is intact. Mummies have been found there; most of the mummies were women.

I think that this place is the most impresionant that one person could visit for theirs mountains and spots.

PORT BANÚS

Port Banús is a luxury sports port, placed in the zone called New Andalusia, to the west of Marbella, six kilometres away from it.
Marbella has about 100,000 inhabitants and in summer this number turns approximately into 600.000 inhabitants, who are mostly foreigners.
Port Banús was founded in 1970 by Mr. José Banús.
Holidays are celebrated in honour of their patron saint San Bernabé in the middle of June.
Many prominent figures of the public life have visited Marbella: the King and Queen of Spain, the King and Queen of Belgium. Personalities of the world of Culture, such as the Nobel Prize Camilo Jose Cela. Artists and top world athletes such as Julio Iglesias, Antonio Banderas, Miguel Indurain, etc.
It has been estimated that Port Banús is visited annually by more than 4,400,000 people.
The average occupation of ships in Port is of 760 / 800 daily. The best yachts in the world berth there.
In port Banús you can find luxury restaurants and very famous shops. Marbella's beaches are beautiful and the climate is wonderful.
Port Banús night life is also well known, you can have fun in many different ways: there is a great number of pubs that are open after midnight, especially in summer; besides there are casinos, ice-cream parlours, clubs, shops in the summer nights are opened until very late.
To finish, I encourage you to visit Port Banús since it is a very nice place where you can have a lot of fun and enjoy its beauty.

New deadline!

Deadline for submitting your essays has been extended to January 26th, 2007

Bush, Condoleza, Hu & Kofi

It is worth watching this funny video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNRoApSvy9s

Real Madrid knocked out by Real Betis Balompié!

Real Betis Balompié, with a team full of substitutes and even some 3rd Division players, has knocked out Real Madrid from the King's Cup.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorihuela del Guadalimar

- Inhabitants: 1,456

- Height: 638 m.

- Name of inhabitants: "Sorihueleños"

- Main feature: olive trees

This little village is in the southeast of "El Condado" area. Forests represent half of the municipal extension. The crop area has the olive tree as the main growing product and is situated in the main territory. Economic activity depends on the cooperative industry, the olive tree culture and tourism, which is developed by its good position in the middle of "Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas" natural park.

The people in the village are really friendly and welcoming to guests and visitors. People here like public celebrations. Like in many popular villages there are a lot of popular religious holidays, mainly in summer, such as "Santa Agueda" and "Santa Quiteria".

What I like most is the summer time that I spend there. I play football, basket, etc. with my friends, ride my quad and go out at night.

What I dislike most is the winter time. There are almost no people walking around the streets and the multi- purpose sport centre is closed in winter.

To finish may essay, I would like to say something curious about "Sorihuela" Saint Marco's holiday is an ancient custom consisting on going to the forest to tie the devil, consisting of tying a knot in the grass. This was made to stop the devil.

Modales

Aquí podéis aprender y practicar los verbos modales:

http://webs.ono.com/lallena/ModalVerbs.html

Essay on a description of a place

1. Choose a place you know well - Jaén, the place where you usually spend your holidays, etc.

2. Makes notes before you start.

3. Write a first draft:

- Describe its geographical location and physical features.

- Describe the atmosphere

- Describe the people and the way of life

- Say what you like or dislike about it.

- Add any other interesting information (look at the texts in your book)

4. Check your draft for mistakes

5. Write a final version

6. Clic on Publicar artículo (menu above) to send your essay. [You can also Post a comment to an existing article.]

Happy New Year

I wish you a very happy new year 2007

GENETIC ENGINEERING

Introduction

What is Genetic Engineering? Genetic engineering involves artificial transfer of genetic material, or DNA, usually between unrelated species of plants, animals, bacteria, viruses, and humans. It consists of taking genes and segments of DNA from one species, e.g. fish, and putting them into another species, e.g. tomato. If we think about the uses of genetic engineering we will probably ask some questions about its advantages and disadvantages for the environment or humans, like…What kind of economic and social impacts might we expect from these technologies? How many lives can we save with the correct use of Genetic engineering?...

At present, genetic modification are opening doors in the world of biology, but it could be good or bad, depending on the uses we do in the environment or humans. Some advantages are for example the possibility of growing vegetables in desert areas, it could be the solution to finish the problem of hunger as well as the extinction of plants, animals and insects. In the field of medicine some geneticists are trying to develop new genetic cures for illness (for example cancer) and inherited genetic diseases. Moreover organs could be grown and used in transplants to save lives. On the other hand, there are some disadvantages too. Some scientists are combining the genes of different creatures against the laws of natural selection, and in the future could be an important problem.

Conclusion

Genetic engineering poses serious risks to human health and to the environment. It raises serious ethical questions about the right of human beings to alter life on the planet for the benefit and curiosity of a few. But I think that genetic engineering should continue.

Human cloning

Introduction.

Cloning is obtaining one or several individuals from a single cell of a nucleus of another individual, so that the cloned individuals are identical or almost identical to the original one. The first experiment of cloning in vertebrates was in 1952 with guinea pigs and frogs. Later Ian Wilmut’s team, at the Roslin Institute of Edinburgh managed to obtain the cloning of a sheep.

Advantages.

In spite of the fact that many people are in opposition to cloning, this supposes a great advance in the world of medicine and science. Thanks to cloning they might treat many diseases and even avoid transplant operations of organs. Besides cloning might recover extinguished species.

Disadvantages.

For many people this supposes a great threat for human beings since they think that it is immoral and a great danger for humankind. And it is not impossible that cloning might be a danger in future if misused with economic and not ethical benefits.

Conclusion.

On the one hand I agree with cloning because I think that it will have many benefits for medicine and it can help many ill people. But on the other hand, I also think that it might be a threat if it is not used to improve medicine or science.

HUMAN CLONING

INTRODUCTION

Human cloning is something that people couldn’t think of some time ago.

ADVANTAGES

On the one hand, a lot of people think that cloning is good because you can save animals who are in extinction and humans can be cloned for transplants of organs and for medical applications.

DISADVANTAGES

On the other hand there are a lot of people that think the opposite: cloning is wrong. People who are Christians think that it is immoral, very dangerous and expensive. Moreover many of the animals that have been cloned have had abnormalities.

CONCLUSION

I think cloning mustn’t be done, but if means a great progress in research it might be proved with humans.

HUMAN CLONING

Cloning is a topic difficult to understand. On the one hand cloning can contribute to solve the hunger problem on the world. Cloning might cure many illnesses. But on the other hand cloning poses difficult moral questions. For example, Is it possible to create humans just for the benefit of curing people? Is it moral to create babies according to the parents’ wish?

In conclusion I think that Cloning has been a fascinating and very important advance but it poses a problem. Will be the humans be able to use this wonderful advance correctly? Future will tell us…

Human Cloning

Human cloning is a controversial topic nowadays, almost everyday we listen to some news about this knowledge. 

On the one hand, from a health point of view we are living in a marvellous age; we may be immunised since birth against many of the most dangerous diseases, due to stem cells and a large number of once fatal illnesses can now be cured. Another advantage is that sterile couples can have a healthy baby, which was impossible some years ago. 

On the other hand, from an ethical or moral point of view, it is an unnatural action and scientists play the role of God. In spite of the benefits, only rich people can get these expensive actions. 

In conclusion, I think that cloning has increased life expectancy and everybody is "for” research and not “against” it. So cloning is a necessary and great progress for human beings.

Human cloning

Introducción

In this vertiginous and impressive scientific development genetics stands out. It has given positive fruits to humanity and can even create the possibility of using this knowledge for good or evil. Cloning is the process of making copies of a complete specimen or a part of it (a specific DNA fragment, generally a gene). In order to do that the DNA sequence is isolated and implanted in a microorganism, used as a cloning vector of to obtain copies of the inserted fragment.

Advantages

Through this procedure we can replace a damaged tissue or organ by another one that is healthy. We can avoid the extinction of species that are in danger or even recover extinguished species gathering the genetic material of these species and to making clones of these species that are genetically equal.

Disadvantages

The reduplication of the human being implies a manipulation of the human species to be able to create copies of ourselves, something that the human beings are against because it breaks our moral and ethical laws. That would create a change in the type of reproduction that we have at the moment since clonation is a type of asexual reproduction.

Conclusion

Clonation can become a benefit if it is used to save lives, but our opinion is that cloning goes against natural laws, and does not respect the cycle of life.

HUMAN CLONING

Introduction

Many years ago, human cloning was fictitious, something that was only possible in fiction films. But now it is something real

Advantages

Cloning would have many medical applications. For example for the women whose DNA is damaged, at the risk of transmitting this deficiency to their children; we could also produce skin for grafts, or replace damaged cells of the bones or organs

Disadvantages

It is demonstrated that cloned animals have a high mortality and that they are born with anomalies with regard to their species. We can’t risk that a person is born like that.

Conclusion

I think that cloning is something that can be done in order to get clonar cells, but not to get cloned humans, because people aren't prepared for human cloning

HUMAN CLONING

Introduction

Cloning is the scientific procedure that consists of taking the genetic material of an organism to obtain another identical, called clone. In a cloning process an ovum is not merged with sperm. The first mammal cloned from an adult animal was the sheep Dolly.

Arguments for

On the one hand, cloning has advantages like the treatment or the recovery of certains illness. Moreover cloning can serve to save endangered species.

Arguments against On the other hand, cloning has disadvantages like the replication of the human being, which implies a manipulation of the human reproduction. Some persons will take advantage of this scientific progress to obtain their own benefits. For example, a couple would be able to choose a few genes which match with the physical features that they like, instead of having relations to have a child, so that racism would increase very much.

Conclusion

In conclusion cloning can be a benefit for everybody, if it is used to save lives, but I think that a few laws should be established for the correct application of cloning in order to avoid possible conflicts.

Human cloning

Cloning is getting one or different individuals from a cell or a nucleus of another individual, in such a way that cloned individuals are identical to the original ones. Cloning individuals has favourable aspects for example the advance for the science. Moreover it may help fight diseases so it lowers mortality rate. This allows sterile or gay couples to have babies or families where a son has died to decide to clone their son in order to have an identical one. On the other hand, cloning individuals has negatives aspects, it may become dangerous with an incorrect use. Cloning human people is only for the rich families because this operation is very expensive. In my opinion cloning humans is an advance and an opportunity for families who want to have children. In conclusion I think this is a good advance for everybody.

HUMAN CLONING

Introduction

Human cloning is a current dilemma. A clone is a multicellular organism that is genetically identical to another one. The process of cloning is easy. First the nucleus of an adult cell is taken and put into a not fertilized ovum. This ovum starts dividing itself successive times until forming an embryo genetically identical to the individual who donated the cell. But should human people be cloned?

Advantages

Therapeutic cloning needs the genetic material of an adult cell to obtain embryonic mother cells destined to produce different fabrics or organs with therapeutic targets. Moreover, cloning might allow the detention of the extinction of some species in order to support the ecological balance. Also, cloning would give the possibility of having a son from a sterile women, using a cell of her organism.

Disadvantages

Human cloning is a moral problem for Christian people. Experimentation with human embryos is an assassination attempt on the life of these human defenseless beings.

Conclusion

I think that human cloning is a good solution for diseases and to save some species in extincion.