Scientific development

The Plain of La Crau, 1888- Vincent Van Gogh
I have chosen this picture because it portrays how life in the past was. And it can help us to think about all the scientific developments that have taken place in the last decades that make our lives much easier.
Now, let´s think about electricity. You walk into your house today, flick a switch and you expect a light to come on. You press a button on the remote control and you expect the TV to turn on. There are many things you depend on electricity to do each day, from washing and drying your clothes to working in your computer. So, how did people get by before they got electricity? If you wanted a light you would get a match, go over to the kerosene lamp, lift the globe off, strike the match, light the wick, put the globe back on and adjust the flame for the best light.
For entertainment people had a record player or a battery operated radio. You could not run the radio too much or you would run the battery down too soon. There were not very many radio stations then and most of them were at very distant locations.
If we take into account means of transport, we may say that the first form of transport was, of course, the human foot. However people eventually learned to use animals for transport. Donkeys, horses and camels were the most commonly used for transportation.
In the mid 19th century transport was revolutionized by railways. They made travel much faster. The Stockton and Darlington railway opened in 1825. However the first major railway was from Liverpool to Manchester. Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler made the first cars in 1885 and 1886. Meanwhile, at sea transport was revolutionized by the steam ship. By 1815, steamships were crossing the English Channel.
Farming methods have also progressed through history and this development of agricultural techniques has steadily increased agricultural productivity. A remarkable shift in agricultural practices has occurred over the past century in response to new technologies.

Mobile phones: a must in modern society?

Mobile phones are considered by many as an essential part of modern life, from the businessperson who uses the mobile phone as a vital link with the office, to the teenager or child who has the phone for recreational use. However, due to the vast number of new users, cell phones companies are not able to offer the standard service.


Many mobile phones users claim that one of the main advantages of ownership is the ability to contact friends or family in the event of an emergency. Most women who travel alone feel more secure knowing that in an emergency or breakdown they can summon help without leaving the security of the car.

Furthermore, mobile phones can allow a whole network of employees or offices to communicate each other no matter where they are. Even if each employee has their own land number, when they are away from that location they normally become unreachable. Thus, the effective use of mobile phones can help to improve both employer to employee and employee to employee communications.


On the other hand, the reduction in costs associated with owing and using a mobile phone means that many more people are now able to afford a mobile phone. The main disadvantage of this is that networks can become overcrowded making it extremely difficult to connect. The consequences of this could be disastrous, mobile phones owners are lead to believe that they can contact people in the event of an emergency when, in effect the overcrowded network may make it impossible.


To sum up, it may be said that mobile phones have improved personal and business life by letting users communicate at any time, at any place and at low prices. Nonetheless, cellular phones companies should take the necessary measures to provide all mobile phones users with an adequate service.

Organic food

A growing desire for quality of foodstuffs and a concern for the future of our environment have led to an increased demand for organic produce.
Organic farming involves producing food without the use of agrochemicals and in a way that does least damage to the environment. Organic farmers build up natural fertility on their farms by recycling manure and compost and by rotating their crops. Weeds and pests are controlled without using herbicides and pesticides.
In the UK there is programme that promotes organic farming. The Organic Farming scheme gives financial help to change from conventional farming methods to organic ones. About 425,000 hectares of land have already been converted. This represents about 2.5 per cent of agricultural land in the UK:
In 1946, a group of scientists, farmers and nutritionists founded the Soil Association in Bristol. They started this project when they realized that there was a connection between farming practices and the health of plants, animals, humans and our environment. The association aims to promote organic agriculture as a sustainable alternative to intensive farming. If you are interested, you can find more information in this website: http://www.soilassociation.org/.
In general, organic food consumers, manufactures and farmers strongly believe that organic food tastes better than non organic food. The prominent reason for this belief is that it is produced using organic means of production. Another benefit of organic food is that it doesn´t damage the environment. As harmful chemicals are not used in organic farming, there is minimal soil, air and water pollution; thus ensuring a safe world for future generations to live in.
Here in Rosario, there are some greengrocer´s shops which sell organic fruit and vegetables and there are some street markets which also sell them. If you try them, you definitely notice the difference in taste and quality.

Being a cartoonist

I found the experience of being a cartoonist quite amazing but at the same time rather difficult. In my opinion, it was not an easy task because you don´t have too much space to write people’ speeches so you have to resort to brevity principle, but at the same time, you have to create a humorous effect on the reader. I happened to me that when I finished making my cartoon and saw the final strip I felt a sense of achievement and I couldn’t believe that I had been able to make that cartoon all myself.
I chose this topic because I think that women and men have different views of reality and that there are some aspects they don´t agree at all; for instance, when it comes to shopping, men try to do it as soon as possible in order to get rid of it and without no one who accompanies them. On the other hand, women need to try on at least ten different shirts, visit three clothing stores and have someone who tells them whether it suits them or not.
While women always remember birthdays, anniversaries and appointments, men do not seem to care about them. However, they´ll never forget football matches! And some men even prefer staying at home watching their team matches instead of going out to celebrate an important occasion. That´s why the man in the cartoon looks surprised when his wife makes that proposal.
All in all, it is worthwhile having a try and believing that you are an artist at least for a while. In my opinion, this website could be a useful tool in the second language classrooms, especially with children. I think they’ll enjoy choosing the characters and emotions, seeing the final product and sharing it with their partners.