Modal verbs

Here you can watch a video that explains modal verbs. In the description of the video you have more information about modal verbs. How to learn the use of modal verbs?

Just practice. The more you practice better. With time and practice and a little bit of understanding the use of them will become automatic. Eventhough, don't worry too much if you still make small mistakes, people will understand you.

Then you can practice with these exercises. In this link. If you make a mistake in a sentence, copy that sentence in your notebook. 

Remember that reading and listening will also provide you with a good practice in the use of modal verbs. 

The cold war & Space Race

 

Infectious diseases

 Go to this link of infectious diseases and choose one. 

Make a summary explaining what it is, what is the cause (bacteria, virus, fungi, protozoa...) and what are the main characteristics.

Do this work in your natural notebook. It should occupy about half a page or one page, as you consider to include more or less information. 

You can add drawings or pictures.

Botulism

Second World War (1939-1945)

 

Pearl Harbor

The Attack on Pearl Harbor happened on December 7th, 1941. Japanese airplanes made a surprise attack on the US Navy in Pearl Harbor. They destroyed many ships and killed many soldiers. It was this attack that forced the United States to enter World War II.

Japanese fighter

Where is Pearl Harbor?

Pearl Harbor is located in Hawaii on the island of O'ahu. Hawaii is located in the Pacific Ocean between California and Japan. During the time of World War II, Hawaii was not a state, but a US territory.

Before the Attack

World War II had been raging in Europe and Asia for two years, but the United States had not entered the war. The Empire of Japan was trying to take over much of Asia and was worried about the US Navy in Hawaii. They decided to strike in order to prevent the United States from attacking them.

The Japanese thought that if they took out the war ships in Pearl Harbor, then the United States Navy would be crippled and would never attack. However, they were mistaken and the attack on Pearl Harbor had just the opposite result. The US declared war the next day.

The Attack

The attack on Pearl Harbor came as a complete surprise. Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes and bombers flew to Pearl Harbor and attacked. The bombers dropped bombs and torpedoes on the war ships, while the fighter planes attacked the US fighter planes on the ground so they could not take off and fight back. There were two waves of attacks and by the end of the second wave a number of US ships were destroyed.

USS Arizona sinking

The Atomic Bomb

Deciding to Drop the Bomb By the time the first atomic bomb had been made, Germany had already surrendered and World War II in Europe was over. Japan was defeated as well, but would not surrender. The US was contemplating an invasion of Japan. Army leaders figured that anywhere from 500,000 to 1 million US and Allied soldiers would die in an invasion. President Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb instead.

Hiroshima

On August 6, 1945 an atomic bomb named Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan by the USA. The explosion was huge, the city was destroyed, and tens of thousands of people were killed.

Nagasaki

Despite witnessing the terrible destruction of the bomb on Hiroshima, Emperor Hirohito and Japan still refused to surrender. Three days later, on August 9, 1945, another atomic bomb, nicknamed Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. Again the devastation was horrible.

Nagasaki

The Great Depression

 

Unit 4: Contemporary Ages - XX Century Europe and the World

 

The Battle of Somme

The Battle of the Somme took place in World War I. The battle started on 1 July 1916, and ended on 18 November 1916. The battle was named after the French River Somme where it was fought.

On the first day the British Army had 57,470 casualties, of whom 19,240 were killed. The French Army had 1,590 casualties and the German Army lost 10,000–12,000 men. The Allies planned to attack together, but the French were busy with the Battle of Verdun, so the main attackers were British. The cost of the battle, and the small gains, have been a source of grief and controversy in Britain. In German and French writing, the first day of the Battle of the Somme has been little more than a footnote to the mass losses of 1914–1915 and the Battle of Verdun.

During the battle of the Somme more than 1.5 million people either died, were wounded or went missing. This battle was the worst battle in WWI, especially from the point of view of Britain.

For five days the British fired shells at the German trenches to destroy them. At 7:30 am on 1 July the British generals ordered the British soldiers out of their trenches and to advance towards the German trenches. The German trenches were unusually deep, and the German soldiers were able to take the machine guns down during the bombardment, and bring them up afterwards.

Whole books have been written about this disaster, but it is still not clear why it happened. It is very clear, though, that the artillery barrage failed in its objective. Where enough German machine-gunners survived, supported by their artillery, the British attack failed, with many casualties. The effectiveness of the defensive weapons decided the result. In such an environment, a soldier with a bayonet wasn't any good and infantry formations useless.

The Armistice Day