Grammar: -ing form

We use the -ing form

• as the subject of a sentence. Reading a book is more tiring than watching a movie.
• after avoid, appreciate, consider, continue, deny, go (+ activities), imagine, keep, miss, save, suggest, practice, prevent, spend/waste (time/money) on, etc.                                               Can you imagine working in a chocolate factory? 
• after prepositions. I am interested in going to the book festival.
• after verbs that express like/dislikes, such as: can't stand, like, enjoy, etc.  I like reading novels.
• after phrases such as: can't help, look forward to, it's no use, it's not worth, have difficulty. I can't help laughing at the joke.

Grammar: (to-) infinitive

We use to-infinitive

• to express purpose. She went to the newsstand to buy a paper.
• after would like, would prefer, would love. I'd like to see a movie on the weekend.
• after too/enough. It's too hot to work.
• after ask, decide, explain, want, hope, promise, expect, refuse, etc. She wants to hang out at the mall.

We use the infinite without to

• after modal verbs. Sally can dance really well.
• after the verbs let, make. Let me give you my number.
• after would rather. I'd rather order take out than cook tonight.

Description of a book: Beautiful Disaster

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand. 

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Unusual buildings

1. Kansas City Public Library (Missouri, United States)

This project, located in the heart of Kansas City, represents one of the pioneer projects behind the revitalization of downtown.

The people of Kansas City were asked to help pick highly influential books that represent Kansas City. Those titles were included as ‘bookbindings’ in the innovative design of the parking garage exterior, to inspire people to utilize the downtown Central Library.

2. Cubic Houses (Rotterdam, Netherlands)

The original idea of these cubic houses came about in the 1970s. Piet Blom has developed a couple of these cubic houses that were built in Helmond.

The city of Rotterdam asked him to design housing on top of a pedestrian bridge and he decided to use the cubic houses idea. The concept behind these houses is that he tries to create a forest by each cube representing an abstract tree; therefore the whole village becomes a forest.

3. Hang Nga Guesthouse a.k.a Crazy House (Vietnam)

The house is owned by the daughter of the ex-president of Vietnam, who studied architecture in Moscow.

It does not comply with any convention about house building, has unexpected twists and turns, roofs and rooms. It looks like a fairy tale castle, it has enormous “animals” like a giraffe and a spider, no window is rectangular or round, and it can be visited like a museum.

4. Forest Spiral – Hundertwasser Building (Darmstadt, Germany)

The Hundertwasser house “Waldspirale” (”Forest Spiral”) was built in Darmstadt between 1998 and 2000. Friedensreich Hundertwasser, the famous Austrian architect and painter, is widely renowned for his revolutionary, colourful architectural designs which incorporate irregular, organic forms, e.g. onion-shaped domes.

The structure with 105 apartments wraps around a landscaped courtyard with a running stream. Up in the turret at the southeast corner, there is a restaurant, including a cocktail bar.

5. The Basket Building (Ohio, United States)

The Longaberger Basket Company building in Newark, Ohio might just be a strangest office building in the world. The 180,000-square-foot building, a replica of the company’s famous market basket, cost $30 million and took two years to complete. Many experts tried to persuade Dave Longaberger to alter his plans, but he wanted an exact replica of the real thing.

Grammar: Like / As

like = similar to He's an athlete, like his father.
such as = like Some sports, such as sky diving, are dangerous.
as = in the same way Do it as I've shown you.

Compare: He works as a teacher. (NOT: like a teacher) (He's a teacher.)
He works like a slave (NOT: as a slave) (He isn't a slave, but he works very hard.

Grammar: Present perfect simple (Affirmative & Negative).

Form: have/has + past participle

We use the present perfect for:

• actions which started in the past and continue to the present. They have been here since 2008.
• life experiences (time isn't started) I've tried Chinese food.
• actions that happened in the past and we can see their results in the present. She's broken her leg (When? We don't know, but we can see that her leg is in a cast.)

Note: When we use never in the negative we use have/has.

I have never eaten papaya. (NOT: I haven't never eaten papaya.)

Compare: He has gone to Madrid (He's still there).

                 He has been to Madrid (He's back now).

Superstitions in México

Mexican superstitions run as deep as the rich cultural and religious history of the nation. Superstition and religion both delve into the realm of the unknown, using tradition and faith to give creedence to customs and claims that can't be verified in practical ways. While religion sometimes keeps superstition at bay, superstition has its own way of twisting stories and truths in order to keep the public in awe of its power. 

One traditional superstition is that if a pregnant woman walks outside during a lunar eclipse, she runs the risk of giving birth to an infant who is part wolf or who has a cleft palate. 

Another common Mexican superstition has to do with the evil eye. Called "mal de ojo" in Spanish, the evil eye can cause all sorts of calamities to people and also to material items.

In reality, the evil eye can be condensed down to jealousy and desire. If a stranger looks upon your child or baby with either of these emotions in her eyes, she has just given your child the evil eye. To keep the evil eye at bay, whenever a person looks at a baby and offers a compliment, she must touch the child at the same time.

Other widespread superstitions include the following:

• Never walk beneath a ladder.
• Never cross a black cat's path.
• If you drop a tortilla, you will have lots of company.
• If you cut a baby's fingernails before the age of one year, the child will have impaired eyesight.
• Tuesday is unlucky; never start a journey or anything important on this day

Grammar / Conditional Type 2

Conditional Sentences Type II refer to situations in the present. An action could happen if the present situation were different. I don't really expect the situation to change, however. I just imagine „what would happen if …“

if + Simple Past, main clause with Conditional I (= would + Infinitive)

Example: If I found her address, I would send her an invitation.

The main clause can also be at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, don't use a comma.

Example: I would send her an invitation if I found her address.

Note: Main clause and / or if clause might be negative. 

Example: If I had a lot of money, I wouldn’t stay here.

Grammar / Conditional Type 0, 1.

Zero Conditional

We use the so-called zero conditional when the result of the condition is always true, like a scientific fact.

Notice that we are thinking about a result that is always true for this condition. The result of the condition is an absolute certainty. We are not thinking about the future or the past, or even the present. We are thinking about a simple fact. We use the present simple tense to talk about the condition. We also use the present simple tense to talk about the result. The important thing about the zero conditional is that the condition always has the same result.

Examples:

IF	condition	result
	present simple	present simple
If	you heat ice	it melts.

IF	condition	result
	present simple	present simple
If	I miss the 8 o'clock bus	I am late for work.
If	I am late for work	my boss gets angry.
If	people don't eat	they get hungry.
If	you heat ice	does it melt?

Conditional Type 1

In a Type 1 conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the simple present, and the tense in the main clause is the simple future

'IF' CLAUSE (CONDITION)	MAIN CLAUSE (RESULT)
If + simple present If it rains If you don't hurry	Simple future you will get wet we will miss the train.

In these sentences, the time is the present or future and the situation is real. They refer to apossible condition and its probable result. They are based on facts, and they are used to make statements about the real world, and about particular situations. We often use such sentences to give warnings:

• If you don't leave, I'll call the police.
• If you don't drop the gun, I'll shoot!
• If you drop that glass, it will break.
• Nobody will notice if you make a mistake.

• If I have time, I'll finish that letter.
• What will you do if you miss the plane?

Grammar / Would

Affirmative
I'd (I would) organize a clean-up day.

I would put garbage in the bin.

I would start a community center.

Negative
I wouldn't throw garbage on the streets.

I wouldn't spray graffiti on walls.

Questions
What would you do to make it a better place?

Would anybody be kind enough to shut the door?

Grammar: Past progressive vs Simple past

Past progressive

• actions in progress at a started time in the past.
  He was driving to work at 9 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
• actions that were happening simultaneosuly in the past.
  Bob was walking while Ben was running to catch the bus.
• past action in progress interrupted by another action. The action that interrupted the action in progress is the simple past.
  Jenny was having a shower when the phone rang.

Simple past

• action that happened at a started time in the past.
  He left yesterday afternoon.
• past actions that happened one after the other.
  She oppened the door, went into the office and walked toward the desk.

Ghost stories: Bloody Mary

She lived deep in the forest in a tiny cottage and sold herbal remedies for a living. Folks living in the town nearby called her Bloody Mary, and said she was a witch. None dared cross the old crone for fear that their cows would go dry, their food-stores rot away before winter, their children take sick of fever, or any number of terrible things that an angry witch could do to her neighbors.

Then the little girls in the village began to disappear, one by one. No one could find out where they had gone. Grief-stricken families searched the woods, the local buildings, and all the houses and barns, but there was no sign of the missing girls. A few brave souls even went to Bloody Mary's home in the woods to see if the witch had taken the girls, but she denied any knowledge of the disappearances. Still, it was noted that her haggard appearance had changed. She looked younger, more attractive. The neighbors were suspicious, but they could find no proof that the witch had taken their young ones.

Then came the night when the daughter of the miller rose from her bed and walked outside, following an enchanted sound no one else could hear. The miller's wife had a toothache and was sitting up in the kitchen treating the tooth with an herbal remedy when her daughter left the house. She screamed for her husband and followed the girl out of the door. The miller came running in his nightshirt. Together, they tried to restrain the girl, but she kept breaking away from them and heading out of town.

The desperate cries of the miller and his wife woke the neighbors. They came to assist the frantic couple. Suddenly, a sharp-eyed farmer gave a shout and pointed towards a strange light at the edge of the woods. A few townsmen followed him out into the field and saw Bloody Mary standing beside a large oak tree, holding a magic wand that was pointed towards the miller's house. She was glowing with an unearthly light as she set her evil spell upon the miller's daughter.

The townsmen grabbed their guns and their pitchforks and ran toward the witch. When she heard the commotion, Bloody Mary broke off her spell and fled back into the woods. The far-sighted farmer had loaded his gun with silver bullets in case the witch ever came after his daughter. Now he took aim and shot at her. The bullet hit Bloody Mary in the hip and she fell to the ground. The angry townsmen leapt upon her and carried her back into the field, where they built a huge bonfire and burned her at the stake.

As she burned, Bloody Mary screamed a curse at the villagers. If anyone mentioned her name aloud before a mirror, she would send her spirit to revenge herself upon them for her terrible death. When she was dead, the villagers went to the house in the wood and found the unmarked graves of the little girls the evil witch had murdered. She had used their blood to make her young again.

From that day to this, anyone foolish enough to chant Bloody Mary's name three times before a darkened mirror will summon the vengeful spirit of the witch. It is said that she will tear their bodies to pieces and rip their souls from their mutilated bodies. The souls of these unfortunate ones will burn in torment as Bloody Mary once was burned, and they will be trapped forever in the mirror.

Past Progressive

Form: was/were + main verb + -ing

Use: We use the past progressive to talk about actions in progress at a certain time in the past

Affirmative: 

I was running.

You were running.

He/She/It was running.

We/You/They were running.

Negative:

I wasn't running.

You weren't running.

He/She/It wasn't running.

We/You/Trey weren't running.

Time expressions used with the past progressive:

while, when, as, all day/night/morning yesterday, etc.

Spelling

• verb + -ing work - working
• verb - e + -ing dance - dancing
• one syllable verb ending in vowel + consonant -> double consonant + -ing sit - sitting
• a stressed vowel between two consonants -> double consonant + -ing begin - beginning BUT travel - traveling

Legendary creatures: Xiezhi or Haetae.

Xiezhi or Haetae is a legendary creature in Chinese and Korean mythology.

China

Mentions of the xiezhi in Chinese literature can be traced back to the Han Dynasty, where it is described by the scholar Yang Fu as a "righteous beast, which rams the wrong party when it sees a fight, and bites the wrong party when it hears an argument". It is also described in the Shuowen Jiezi as being "a cattle-like beast with one horn; in ancient times, it settled disputes by ramming the party at fault".

As an inherently just beast, the xiezhi was used as a symbol of justice and law. The Censorate of the Ming and Qing eras, who were responsible for the monitoring of the civil service, wore the xiezhi as a badge of office. Similarly, military policemen of the Republic of China wear badges bearing the xiezhi, and it is engraved on the gavels in the law courts of the People's Republic of China.

Korea

According to Korean records, Haetae's body is shaped like a lion and it has a horn on its forehead. It has a bell in its neck,and its body is covered with scales.It lives in the frontier areas of Manchuria.

In ancient Korea, Haetae sculptures were used in architecture during the early Joseon dynasty, as their image was trusted to be able to protect Hanyang (now Seoul) from natural disasters and to give law and order among the populace. Seoul city has officially used Haechi (origin of Haetae) as the symbol of Seoul since 2009.

In English, it is called "the Unicorn-lion"or "an omniscient mythical beast."

Grammar: Too - Enough

• too + adjectives/adverb + to-infinitive (negative meaning = more/less than what is needed)

The oven is too expensive to buy. (We can't buy it, it's very expensive).

Did you boy a new fridge? No, it was too big.

This microwave is too complicated.

• adjetive/adverb + enough + to-infinitive/noun + enough (positive meaning; as much as wanted/needed)

This mixer is easy enough to use. ( It's very easy to use. I can use it easily.) 

We have enough money to buy this iron. (We can afford to buy it).

Did you cook dinner? No, there was enough food from last night.

Grammar: Some - Any - A lot of - Much - Many.

Countable nouns are nouns we can count.

An/one apple - two apples

I eat a lot berries.

How many berries do you eat?

• too many (more than needed)
• a lot of/lots of
• some/a few not many/very few
• not any. 

Uncountable nouns are nouns we cannot count. 

(some) rice.                    (NOT: one rice, two rices)

I drink a lot of milk.

How much milk do you drink?

• too much (more than needed)
• a lot of/lots
• some/a little
• not much/very little
• not any

Cabo San Lucas in the 50's

Cabo San Lucas, commonly called Cabo, is a city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. Cabo San Lucas together with San José Del Cabo is known as Los Cabos.

In the fifties, Los Cabos was a very desert place. It  has no hotels, yatchs or tall buildings. 
Here is always be present the fishing. In the 1917 the Americans built a floating platform to catch tuna, but ten years laters they founded the Compañía de Productos Marinos S.A. In this years, this company continued working and it was the main source of employment of the population.
The famous marine didn't was in there. Cabo was a really clean and full of beautiful beaches. 

Here are some pictures about Cabo few years ago:


Partial view of what is now San Lucas Navy in 1951.


Old fish packing where generations worked in Cabo San Lucas.

Space

Saturn

Gas giant.

Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system after Jupiter. It is 766 times the size of Earth. This means that, on a clear night, you can see it with the naked eye -incredible when you learn the planet is 746 million miles away!-

The planet is a gas giant because it is mostly hydrogen, although it may have a small rocky core. Beneath the "surface" the hydrogen is liquid and it is extremely hot.

Three facts about saturn:

• Saturn has a brown-yellow color.
• It has rings very thin and it's 766 times the size of Earth.
• It is the second largest planet and you can see it with the naked eye.

Grammar / Conditional Type 1

If + simple present -> will + base form of main verb

If  you study for your exam, you will pass the course.

If  Laura make cupcakes, i will be happy.

Use: to talk about a possible situation in the present or future.

You will going to pass the course if you study for your exam.

Note: Unless = if not.

Unless you start to study for your exam, you will pass the course.

If Laura doesn't make cupcakes, i will be sad.

Grammar / Conditional Type 0

Use to express a general truth or a scientific fact. In this type of conditional, we can use when instead of if.

When the if-clause precedes the main clause, we use a comma to separate the two clauses.

Example:
If Laura goes to bed late, she wakes up in a bad mood.
If Lesli meets new people, she is usually quiet and shy.
If i don't do my homework, i'm going to fail.

If i dont clean my room, i can't go out on weekend

If you heat water, it boils or When you heat the water, it boils.