Chiara

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=BOOK REVIEW: The Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead=

Vampire Academy is a series of ,until now, four books. It’s all about the human world where vampires are kept secret. There are three kinds of them. Or two. The Moroi is a ‘good’ vampire, mortal, not killing and living together, protected. They are mostly slim, tall and beautiful. There are royals and non-royals. Moroi have an affinity for magic and so they can control fire, earth, water or air. When Moroi came together with humans before, they created a Damphir. These are half human and half vampire, having the vampire senses of better seeing hearing and fast reactions, but the strength and body of a human. However, the Morois have to be kept secret to the human world and so Damphirs are only created by a Moroi and a Damphir. The Damphirs are trained from small on, to protect Moroi from Strigoi. Where we come to the third kind. Strigoi are evil and have no soul. They are undead, immortal creatures, killing and slaughtering human, Damphirs and Moroi. They gain power by killing and enjoy it. A Strigoi isn’t born. They are created. One way is by choice, when a Moroi drink from a human or damphir and kills him/her. The other is by force, when another Strigoi drinks from that person and gives him/ her blood afterwards. The Strigoi want to kill especially Moroi, since they gain the most power of them. Strigoi don't bring the magic, a Moroi had as alive. They are nothing they were before and are cruel no matter if they choose to be Strigoi or were forced.

In Vampire Academy, Rose Hathaway is the main character. Rose is 17, strong, stubborn and very beautiful. She is popular on the school for getting in fights, having a big mouth and getting in trouble. She has a way of recklessness and irony but also loveliness, that makes the reader love her. She is a Damphir, living in the St. Vladimir Academy in Montana, USA. Her best Friend Lissa is a Royal Moroi, and the last of her Line, the Dragomirs. She’s the Dragomir princess and has an affinity for something, nobody knew existed until then. Rose and Lissa have a bond, which was created short after a car accident, where Lissas’ family, her parents and her brother, got killed. Rose survived it someway and since then, Rose was able to get in Lissas’ head, read her feelings and thoughts. The Academy Trains Damphirs to protect Moroi and Moroi to study and learn about their affinity.

After breaking out of school and being running around and escaping the academy, Rose and Lissa are brought back two years later. Nobody knows why they left. They have a hard time getting used to all again and Rose plots to leave again. Lissa is getting depressive and starts cutting herself. But soon Rose doesn’t think of leaving. Dimitri, another Damphir who has the reputition of ‘badass’ and ‘god’ is Roses’ teacher, but even though he’s 24, her teacher and in future the second guardian of Lissa, there is an attraction between the two of them.

When weird things starts to happen and Lissa begins to bear dark feelings, all heaven breaks loose and continues in the enthralling, alluring following books of the Vampire Academy.

=Reflection:=

I moved too much like a metronome and i was turning my body from left to right a lot. I should turn down my motion and be more secure with my speech. I also should learn my speech better, so i can leave out the 'umm' 's and speak more fluent and therefore be more persuasive. Maybe i can also try walking through the class to get atteI laughed at some moments, and i should definitely not laugh, e.g. at a important and more serious speech like for raising money for Haiti. I should always keep eye contact and use emphasize on strong arguments.

=Quarter 3 goals= __**Reading**__ Goal: I want to improve my understanding in more complicated books/ novels/ literacy. I also want to read more fast, to keep up in class. Strategies: I am reading a lot, and since fall almost only english books. I want to read only english book for now and learn the vocabulary from the 'roots and shoots' book, since a lot of words, i know from it, already appeared in the books i recently read.

__**Listening**__ Goal: I want to understand everything in class and remember words and pronunciation to use it in my daily conversation. I also want to be able to understand more difficult speeches or conversations. Strategies: In english we're reading The novel ;Animal Farm' and there's also something to learn about poetry. I want to buy a english CD in the next days, but i also have some and recently i was listening to a novel on english on CD. In class i should always listen carefully to understand everything correct.

__**Writing**__ Goal: I really want to improve my spelling, and my grammar skills, so i am able to write a essay or paragraph, fluent and without mistakes. Strategies: I want to pay a lot attention to the spelling of words, e.g. also in our booklet 'Red Hot Root Words'.

__**Speaking**__ Goal: I want to speak fluently and reduce my grammar mistakes in speaking and also want to have a big choice of vocabulary. I want to speak more fluent, without stumbling over grammar mistakes. Strategies: Since i moved here and english is my daily used language now, it will improve already. I want to try to remember what I' m hearing, to pronounce word right. Our Vocabulary Booklet 'Red Hot Root Words' will help a lot, since we can stress the words, and also vocabulary quizzes will help.

Since organization isn't one of my strengths, i want to try to take everything more serious, check what's coming up more often and write everything down. Though I am already doing/ trying those things, it seems like i have to be more alert.

= = =China Alive ' greatest hits'= During china alive i was in Shandong. We were 26 people and though i didn't know them all, i made new friends and had great fun. The first day was okay. I didn't know all and it was a little boring then, also that i didn't know my roommate so good. But when we were all crouched together in a room, playing cards at and talking at night, i learned to know them all. Through writing my name on chinese, hiking a mountain, looking for a restaurant, playing cards, making photos, waiting for the sunrise, visiting temples and going on a bike tour, i knew all names and made new friends, which was awesome. I don't know how i changed. I think i did, Partly also because i was mostly hanging with the guys on my trip, and wasn't used to that. Maybe i also got a better sense of what i have, because i saw people working for everything they have. Unfortunately we didn't visit the school. During hiking, i learned how to catch my breath and during the whole week, i learned to live with the people and i really miss the atmosphere and the routine the 5 days had.I wouldn't have mind staying longer. And though i was deadly tired after 5 days, it seemed to short and such a long time in one.

On this photo, you see a technique to make cotton. Direct after the bus ride, we went to this village, where the people made their own food, cotton and other stuff. I chose this picture, because you can see here the machina and the woman on the right is the old lady who does this. She can make 4m cotton per day and is very fast at her job. In the middle is Victoria, we could try the cotton machina, she is one of those who tried it. I tried it too, but failed badly! In the back round there are the others watching. On a nice, sunny day we, a group of 25 people, hiked up 7700 (or also only 3500, when you took the cable car like me :D) steep stone steps, to get to our hotel, which was located on the mountain top. It was exhausting, but with the brakes in between and the people totally manageable. The sky was pure blue and other people were hiking with us, as you can see there. At the middle gate then, Ms. Mamo came with KFC and we all dashed to it. I enjoyed this day a lot and love looking back to my first china alive.

On the mountain top, early the next morning we hoped to see the sunrise. We all wore everything we had with us and thick jackets from the hotel. Outside it was very dark and freezing! But with the time it got lighter and i could actually see the people in front of me. Unfortunately we didn't get to see the sunrise, because of the fog and clouds everywhere. I was so tired, that i went to bed after again to get some sleep. But i don't regret standing up so early. It was a nice adventure. :)

Here you can see the famous SAS china alive bus! I put the picture here, because we spent a lot of time in the bus, if chatting, eating, sleeping, listening to music or playing card games. I always enjoy bus rides and these were real fun! We travelled from hotel to hotel and restaurant to boat and other cities.

= = =MALTA ('mmm', malta makes (it) manageable) :D =

This summer, my best friend, Amrei and I flew to Malta for our ‘Goodbye summervication‘, because I was going to move to Shanghai, while she would be in Germany. We know each other since 3rd grade, even when we fight or stress each other, our friendship will always be something special.

We went to an English camp, to improve our English and besides have a lot of fun, with the sun, the convenient heat, the beach, the ocean and the great people we met. It was really fun to sleep in a 4 star hotel, with pool on the rooftop and roommates, with whom you talked until 3 am, on the stars emblazed balcony, with a view of the Maltese houses, highlighted in the dull light of the moon, It was almost tradition, sitting there in the afternoon between activity and food, when everybody was so sleepy and in the night, just before going out. Every day, at the same time a woman came and fed the cats, which were roaming around at the wall, across from the hotel.

In the last week, we, 30 people, had a 5 min. busride to the port, to go for a long night-catamaran-trip to the blue Lagoon and back. It was around 8 pm, when our hosts called out that our boat was **adjacent** to us so we could go on it. I turned around, and saw a huge, white catamaran floating at the base, waiting for us. The owner and the DJ made a little **preamble** and soon we took off.

Endowed with a dancefloor and a small bar under the rooftop with **surplus** of drinks, two front nets, and the amazing, breathtaking view on the sea and the blue, blue sky, this trip promised an unforgetable event.

The boat was huge and while the beat of electro, vibrated through our stomaches, nobody really paid attention to the food, but to the refreshing, cool drinks, which slipped down our throat. Here and there you could hear chatting, voices **superimpose**, about the day, last week or other events, whether embarassing, funny, sad or weard. Soon it turned into a buzz in the backround. Loud laughing accompanied the muttering, while the waves of the Mediterranean sea were rushing through the beat of the music. We all were in a great mood! Some danced on the rooftop, a few people were just sitting at the back and gabbed. But one of the most impressing things on this huge boat, were the front nets. The black criss-cross rubber net, was big enough for 20 people! I sat there and got wet, from the against the front splashing seawater waves, faster than I could count. And because it was on the very front, you could just sit there, stare out into the blue. I had the feeling of hovering above the sea, without a boat. Like on a ** Promontory **, high over the sea. Salty waterdrops sputtered into my face, and splashed on my clothes, while the wind blew it dry in the same moment. It was an amazing feeling. The waves came closer and made the boat luff in a constant rhythm. The view on some rocks and a island, peeking out behind the horizon, encircled with smaller or bigger ships was like on a postcard.

Very soon, but just perfectly in time, the sky darkened and we were lucky, to enjoy a sunscet with friends, above the open sea. Rose and orange danced along the sky for some moments. Then the blue turned darker and deeper. With the time you could count stars, small little bright dotts flying over you. They got bigger and before you could notice, you found yourself surrounded by tiny sparks.

While dancing in the moonlight, there was a smell of nice and fresh oceanwind blowing in your face, with a hint of salt and when you were hungry or thirsty you could go down to the bar with food and drinks beside the dancefloor.

We have been to the Blue Lagoon a cupple of days ago during the day. Squeezed between rocks and people, all visitors to see the Blue Lagoon, you could find benches to put your towel on. But I soon found out that there was no need for it. I was to busy, exploring and adoring the turquoise, clear water, nice refreshing and cool, under the burning sun. The sand you trippled on, was smooth and beige. The gravity was nonexistant anymore and the sea was luring to be explored.

Now, was night time -Blue lagoon. Sadly there were to many light red, almost transparent jellyfish swimming around the boat. However some people still went for a swim, by jumping from the **periphery**. The water formed small waves coming from the boat, and although there were jellyfish, I noticed the stars, reflecting in the still seethroug but dark water.

Later a huge ship of EF, another organisation for English camps, got to us. Afterwards we were jumping around on the rooftop and singing the lyrics of the song out loud. Amrei and i met a bunch of new people from France and other countries who swam from their ship to ours.

The boat trip back, through the dark night with the flashing stars and the deep, dark blue waves, which made the boat swing, was a none-stop dance-time. We came to the port at around 11:30 where a bus waited for us. Although the trip ended way to soon, we all had an amazing time, great fun, a memory which will last for a long time and some new friends.


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 --- **5 Vocabulary 3 simple sentences 3 compound sentences 3 complex sentences **