For your first homework task, you need to set up a Google account, and post a comment at the bottom of this post. Any questions or concerns about the Google account should be answered here.
In your comment, you should say something relevant to English. You could simply let everyone know of a book that you have read recently, and tell us what you think of it. You could provide a link to a relevant website that you have found useful or interesting. You could write a short poem or story. You could share your personal targets for the year in English, and ask for suggestions. You could make a suggestion on how the blog could function. Be creative, and try to respond to others' comments where relevant.
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33 comments:
i read quite a good recently it was the picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Hey, i read Ark Angel recently. it was from the alex rider series as u all no
I read Blade of Fire.
i read a book during the summer called "city of bones" by michael conelly i recommend it to more girls as there is a romance behind it all and if you lik csi then this is jst lik it with a murder mystery theme running through the book its really good!
helo everybody
i also read blade of fire-its pretty good
nd im reeding the new c.h.e.r.u.b
book-the general
which is awesome nd ever1 sould read it
im not goin 2 wright a short story right now
bt i'd like 2 nominate david 2 do 1
bye bye
I read several books during the summer holidays but my favourites were 'I,Claudius'by Robert Graves and 'My Sister's Keeper'by Jodie Picoult. I especially liked 'I,Claudius' because it was historical as well as a good story. 'My Sister's Keeper' was also a very good read but it ended with a unexpected and sad ending. Both these books would suitable for girls and boys.
OK, thanks to those who have posted so far. Can I remind you of the following:
Your user name should make it clear who you are;
You should write in standard English;
You should do more than simply name a book that you have read - make a fairly detailed comment, such as Helen's.
Over the holidays I read "The kite runner" by Khaled Hosseini. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel because it was exciting and it also gave an insight into what life in Afghanistan is like. I am currently reading "nineteen eighty-four" by George Orwell. The idea of being watched by the government all the time is a very scary and worrying thought. I'm planning to start reading "The Book Thief" and was wondering if anyone had read the book and had any comments. My favourite book I have mentioned is "The Kite Runner" and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a gripping and fast moving novel
Hi mr B, I was wondering if you could put sample paragraghs on the blog bfore we do essays and I also liked the links to youtube vids that you did last year. Thanks to everyone who reccomended books. Richard I was gonna start kite runner anyway and your comments really encouraged me to start soon.
One great author I have discovered in the last year is Eva Ibbotson. She has written prize winning books for children but her books for teenagers are just as good. Ibbotson grew up in Vienna (before moving to England when The Nazis invaded Austria) and likes to use her knowledge of Austrian culture in her books, which gave me a very interesting insight into the culture of Central Europe. My favourite book so far is 'A Song for Summer' which I read whilst on holiday. It is set in the Austrian countryside but also includes some great descriptions of dramatic English settings. 'A Song for Summer' is, in my opinion, well written but is also a very good story.
Also, to Richard, I read The Book Thief, thought that it was a very good book and then wrote an RPR on it. It is written in an intriguing style which is distracting at first but once you get used to it is very effective. It is a bit overly long but is otherwise thought provoking read. I saw the film of 'The Kite Runner' which was amazing even although it missed out quite alot of what happened in the book (which I haven't read) and was sometimes a little harrowing to watch.
Hey, I read a few books this summer but i would have to say The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seirstad was the best. It is a real story and Seirstad, the author, has first hand knowledge of living in Kabul and the surrounding areas which makes the book even more realistic. It is similar to The Kite Runner so Richard i think you would like it. The book is very well written and I would recommend it to all.
Hey. Over the summer I read a book called "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" by Mark Haddon. It was about a guy with autism trying to find out who killed his neighbour's dog. Its a really sad book, I cried a lot. :( I recommend it to everyone, girls and guys. It gives a really good insight into the life of someone with a mental disability and the people around them and who are close to them. I thouroughly enjoyed the book and to Mr Baynham-I think we should read it in school even though it has a lot of swear words in it. ;]
Hey,I am in the middle of reading a book called "For One More Day" by Mitch Albom. The book is about a man called Charley Benetto who his life has been completely destroyed by alcohol and regret. One night Charley staggers into his house finding his mother talking to him normally although she dies eight years ago.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes suprising and unusual stories. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I am !
Over the holidays I read "A thousand splendid suns" by Khaled Hosseini. It is a very moving story, which portrays a vivid description of the hardships many of the Afghan refugees experienced through thirty years of the volatile history of Afghanistan. Hosseini shows how a woman's love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it’s love, that is often the key to survival. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it to anyone who has read “The kite runner” or anybody who is looking for a gripping and inspiring novel.
Hey mr Baynham. over the summer i read a book called Shadowmancer by G.P Taylor. It's really exciting in parts of the novel but it is also quite weird. The story itself has a lot to do with the power and belief of God. I am now reading a book by Agatha Christie, Apointment with death. It would also be good Mr .B if u could put sample paragraphs for different types of essays that we do. Bye
Over the summer i read a book called 'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Arther Golden. It is about a young Japanese girl's transformation from a poor fishermans daughter to a famous Geisha. It is a very thought provoking and moving story and i enjoyed learning about old japanese culture.
I think this is more suited to girls as it has alot to with dress and make-up.
hello everybody! : )
This thing is cool! Sorry for the late reply my gmail account wasn't working. My personal target(s) for this year is to write an essay which I am very happy with and I can think of putting in my Standard Grade portfolio (after polishing it up), and also to gain a 1 in my talks. This summer I read 'Murder on the Orient Express' and thought it was very intriguing and I thoroughly enjoyed the way the plot unravelled.
Thanks: )
Remember..
Stay Safe.
Cyrus
P.S Check Lucy's comment by the way!!!!
hey guys, since the end tail of the summer, i've been reading a book called "an offer you can't refuse" I don't think many people would of heard of it but it's a great book. Its about a girl called Lola who was offered 10k to split up with her boyfriend, Dougie, by Dougie's mother. Over the next couple of years, a twist of fate has brought them together again and she likes him more than ever. He's just found out about her being paid to split up with him-- she doesnt want to tell him the truth but can she win him back? I would recommend this book mainly to the girls seeing as I doubt it would be down many of the guys path. bye.
Hi,Hugo here.
I am reading No Country For Old Men by Cormac Mccarthy.It was recommended to me by someone else and from what i have read so far it is really good.I am going to finish the book before i see the film.
The Kite runner sounds like a good read too.
Sorry for the short comment last time this is my new one: I read Blade of Fire. It is the 2nd book in the trilogy of The Icemark and I am about to start reading the 3rd book-The Last Battle of The Icemark. I hope this is long enough and I don't have to do it again.
hello people
i also think it would be great to have some sample paragraphs for the essays.
Richard, "The Kite runner" sounds great i shall set out getting a copy of that.
hope the username is clear enough. bye
Matthew
i read a book called "run" Jeff Abott i found it boring (:
Hi, In the summer I read 'Exodus' by Julie Bertagna which is a great read. Set in 2099, in Scotland, when the sea level has risin,drowning most of the Earth's land, we follow the main chararcter,Mara, to her new world. The possible reality of this novel makes it serious and thought provoking, yet it is incredibly adventurous and intense. I have started reading the second book in the series,'Zenith'. The author lives in the West End of Glasgow and uses Glasgow place names, making it even more appealing.
bye.
This summer I read loads of books. I read "Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer and I thought it was awesome. I also read "Ophelia" (the name of the author I have forgotten) and it was about Hamlet only from a different person's point of view. I've also read "City of Bones" and "City of Ashes" by Michael Conelly and I also though they were great. I've also read all the C.H.E.R.U.B books and I thought that they were all really good. Bye everyone.
Hey, Like Radhika, I read "A thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. I have also read "The kite runner" by the same author. The storyline of both the books are amazing, and they are both literally page-turners. They are beautifully written, and they will stay in your thoughts for a very long time. I also read "The other side of the bridge" by Mary Lawson. It is a story about two young brothers, growing up in a rural community in Canada. The story moves from present day to flashbacks of the past, and it is an intriguing story of what happens between two brothers. I would perhaps recommend this more to girls, but boys could read it as well. I would definitely recommend Khaled Hosseini's books to everyone :)
Hi Mr Baynham. I'm finding the discursive essay really difficult and I was wondering if you could see if I was on the right lines with what if done so far...
Should doctors be allowed to assist suicide?
In 2006 marginally fewer than 400 people out of 100,000 died of a terminal illness just in Scotland. These illnesses include cancer, coronary heart disease and less common cases such as AIDS. The issue on whether doctors should offer these patients a painless lethal injection so as to end their life on their terms is one that has been greatly debated by many countries and governments. The term for this procedure is euthanasia literally meaning ‘good death’ in ancient Greek and is legal in Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, The U.S. state of Oregon and Thailand. There are many ethical, religious and legal aspects of this debate and all should be explored in order to discover whether it is right for doctors to take part in what are, essentially, mercy killings. At this point, before looking in on the argument I believe that doctor assisted suicide is right.
A good place to start would be the moral issues. Every human has the right to life, possibly the most basic and fundamental of all rights. But with every right comes a choice, for example the right to speak does not remove the ability to remain silent. Many use this argument when discussing euthanasia and this is a fair point. Campaigners also say that it is indignant to die in pain and that terminally ill patients feel that they deserve to die when they feel ready.
In contrast to this point, pro-life supporters feel that it is morally wrong. They feel that when someone is in need of help, it should be given and that when it isn’t it is classed as murder. It has also been the case that some patients under taking euthanasia have not been killed by the injection, for example a 70 year old woman called Lillian Boyes who was suffering from motor neurone disease was given the injection of potassium-chloride twice after the first attempt failed. It is said that this blunder caused an unbearable amount of pain. This is uncommon but not unheard of. It is felt that if this is the case and that there is a risk of pain above the amount being suffered then there is no way that it should be offered to the general public.
p.s. congrats on the new baby!
Hi, Hugo here.
I thought the Royal Shakespeare Company's website was really good.
I read the interview with Peter Gill, the director, and he talked about the play, giving his views on it. He thought that the casting needed young people with lots of experience to illustrate the emotions of the story. The site offered a well structured summary of the play which made it easy to understand . Although I liked the content of the site and the photos showing the actors during the performance i found it difficult to navigate around the different sections.
looking forward to seeing the play.
see ya
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