Autumn begins today!

Get into the autumn mood by listening to some music:

and reading a poem:

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by Elsie N. Brady

How silently they tumble down
And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care,
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow.

By the way, what do you think is the title of the poem? If you know, leave a comment with your answer!

International Day of Peace

The International Day of Peace, observed each year on 21 September, is a global call for ceasefire and non-violence. It is observed by many nations, political groups, military groups, and peoples. The first year this holiday was celebrated was 1981.

To celebrate the day, there are millions of people in countries around the world participating in parades, concerts, dance celebrations, exhibitions and educational events. You can see what they're doing in the Peace Day Global Broadcast, a multimedia event which started on September 17 with the ringing of the Peace Bell from UN Headquarters by the Secretary General, and continues through September 21, the official International Day of Peace.

Segments in this year’s broadcast will feature Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Stevie Wonder, Bono, Annie Lennox, Alanis Morissette, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Dr. Jane Goodall, James Cameron, “The Elders” - Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, Mary Robinson, and Kofi Annan and many other prominent people.

You can watch the Peace Day Global Broadcast live below:

To learn more about this day, visit the International Day of Peace's official UN page.

World Animal Day

Do you like animals? If your answer is yes, October 4th is a day for you to celebrate.

World Animal Day was started in 1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. Since then it has grown to encompass all kinds of animal life and is widely celebrated in countries throughout the world. October 4 was chosen as World Animal Day as it is the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

It is intended as a day of celebration for anyone in the world who cares about animals. It is not restricted to any one nationality, creed, religion, political belief or ideology.

MISSION STATEMENT for WORLD ANIMAL DAY:
- To celebrate animal life in all its forms
- To celebrate humankind’s relationship with the animal kingdom
- To acknowledge the diverse roles that animals play in our lives – from being our companions, supporting and helping us, to bringing a sense of wonder into our lives
- To acknowledge and be thankful for the way in which animals enrich our lives

(Information taken from the World Animal Day official website)

Selectivitat

To practise your reading and improve your listening skills at the same time, try these two sites:

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/
A news article with an audio file. You can do a number of comprehension exercises as well.

Learning resources
Another news article with audio or video and some interactive comprehension exercises.

Posa't a prova
English readings at 4 different levels of difficulty (but no listening!) and all the other Selectivitat subjects.

The Poet's corner

St George's day is coming. To celebrate the festivity, you're going to write some poems. To make things easier for you, try this:
Instant poetry forms.

It's Easter!

April Fool's Day

April the 1st

The first of April, some do say, April The 1st
Is set apart for All Fools' Day.
But why the people call it so,
Nor I, nor they themselves do know.
But on this day are people sent
On purpose for pure merriment.
-- Poor Robin's Almanac (1790)

Today is April Fool¡s Day, the day in which people play hoaxes and practical jokes on friends, family members and other people in general. Newspapers and the media also have their share in the celebration. Most of them publish fake articles or give fake news on television.
Here you have some articles taken from different British newspapers. Can you tell which is the REAL one?

• Honda demonstrates robot controlled by mind power
• Twitter switch for Guardian, after 188 years of ink
• Ryan Giggs launches groundbreaking jumpers for goalpost technology
• It's the Mona Greasa!