read and answer the questions

The hardest language

People often ask which is the most difficult language to learn, and it is not easy to answer because there are many factors to take into consideration. Firstly, in a first language the differences are unimportant as people learn their mother tongue naturally, so the question of how hard a language is to learn is only relevant when learning a second language.
A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to learn than a native speaker of Chinese, for example, because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, while Chinese is very different, so first language can affect learning a second language. The greater the differences between the second language and our first, the harder it will be for most people to learn. Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn, possibly influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system, and the pronunciation of Chinese does appear to be very difficult for many foreign learners. However, for Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language, learning writing will be less difficult than for speakers of languages using the Roman alphabet.
Some people seem to learn languages readily, while others find it very difficult. Teachers and the circumstances in which the language is learned also play an important role, as well as each learner's motivation for learning. If people learn a language because they need to use it professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a language that has no direct use in their day to day life.
Apparently, British diplomats and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest language is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many, but the language that they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian, which has 35 cases (forms of a nouns according to whether it is subject, object, genitive, etc). This does not mean that Hungarian is the hardest language to learn for everyone, but it causes British diplomatic personnel, who are generally used to learning languages, the most difficulty. However, Tabassaran, a Caucasian language has 48 cases, so it might cause more difficulty if British diplomats had to learn it.
Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different languages more difficult. In the case of Hungarian for British learners, it is not a question of the writing system, which uses a similar alphabet, but the grammatical complexity, though native speakers of related languages may find it easier, while struggling with languages that the British find relatively easy.
No language is easy to learn well, though languages which are related to our first language are easier. Learning a completely different writing system is a huge challenge, but that does not necessarily make a language more difficult than another. In the end, it is impossible to say that there is one language that is the most difficult language in the world.


Questions

Q1 - The question of how hard a language is to learn is relevant to both first and second language acquisition.
True False

Q2 - Portuguese is definitely easier than Chinese.
True False

Q3 - A Japanese speaker may well find the Chinese writing system easier than a speaker of a European language. True False

Q4 - The Hungarian alphabet causes problems for British speakers.
True False

Q5 - Hungarian is the hardest language in the world.
True False

Q6 - Hungarian has as many cases as Tabassaran.
True False

Q7 - Many British diplomats learn Tabassaran.
True False

Q8 - The writer thinks that learning new writing systems is easy.
True False

source:
http://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/5.html

reflection:
in this activity I practice my reading and comprehension. It was easy, becuase the topic was interesting, and is linked to the study of another language.

write a controversial essay about the altenative medicine.

well, the alternative medicine is a kind of nature medicine, like plants and things like that. Is it a good way to cure our diseases???This topic have two sides, the people who are for amd the people who are against.
Some people think that if the traditional doesn´t work they will try with the alternative medicine.
somo of the advantages of the alternative medicines are the cost of the medicine, because is cheaper than the traditional.
In the other hand, the traditional medicine is prescribed by a doctor, and is more secure than the alternative. Some people think that if they need to choose some of this kind of medicine, they prefer the traditional.
In clonclusion, Im not against or for the alternative medicine, I use tre traditional, but I think that if some day the traditional medicine doesnt work. I dont have any problem to take the alternative.

reflection:
This kind of exercise, help me to practice my writing, and the way I do my essays. Last week in the class we did a presentation about a controversial topic, and it was something like this...

Put the verbs in brackets into the gaps in the correct tense Past Perfect or Simple Past.

1) After Fred had spent (to spend) his holiday in Italy he wanted (to want) to learn Italian.
2) Jill had phoned(to phone) Dad at work before she left (to leave) for her trip.
3) Susan turned(to turn on) the radio after she had washed(to wash) the dishes.
4) When she arrived(to arrive) the match had already started (to start).
5) After the man had come(to come) home he fed(to feed) the cat.
6) Before he sang(to sing) a song he had played (to play) the guitar.
7) She watched(to watch) a video after the children had gone(to go) to bed.
8) After Eric had made (to make) breakfast he phoned (to phone) his friend.
9) I was (to be) very tired because I had studied (to study) too much.
10) They had ridden (to ride) their bikes before they met(to meet) their friends.

reflection:
we saw that last class, so it wasn´t very dificult. With this kind of exercise I practice the topics that I saw in class.

source:
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/past_perfect_simple_past.htm

Choose the correct answer for each question

1.-______ he was the best qualified candidate, he didn't get the job.
so
so that
although
when
since


2.-He is learning English ______ he can get a better and more interesting job.
so
so that
although
when
since


3.-______ you think of all the people who could have got the job, it seems ridiculous that he was chosen.
so
so that
although
when
since


4.-I'm going to buy a new Beetle, ______ I do think they are over-priced.
so
so that
although
when
since


5.-The job is badly paid ______ I'm looking for another one.
so
so that
although
when
since

6.-______ we would like to open a branch in Oxford now, we will probably wait for another year or so.
so
so that
although
when
since


7.-I don't know him very well, ______ I have met him socially on a couple of occasions.
so
so that
although
when
since


8.-______ we have so much to do, let's delay discussing this until our next meeting.
so
so that
although
when
since


source
http://www.better-english.com/grammar/con2.htm

reflection:
in this activity I can practice the things and topics that Isaw last week, like although, etc.